


The Value Of Love

by scrappylittlegleek



Series: The Value Of Love [1]
Category: Supergirl (Comics), Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Angst, Endgame Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor, F/F, Fluff, Lena Luthor-centric, Lori Luthor - Freeform, Parents Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor, Protective Kara Danvers, Protective Lena Luthor, Single Parent Lena Luthor, Teacher Kara Danvers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-29
Updated: 2019-06-06
Packaged: 2019-10-18 14:36:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 28
Words: 59,063
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17582723
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scrappylittlegleek/pseuds/scrappylittlegleek
Summary: Lena is the legal guardian of her niece, Lori, after she is abandoned by her father Lex Luthor and her biological mother is deemed an unfit parent. Lori is clearly gifted for her age, which doesn't go unnoticed by her teacher, Kara Danvers. Kara and Lena bond over Lori's talents and form and unforeseen friendship (and eventual relationship) that neither of them could've predicted.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! This is my first time writing an AU like this, so I really hope it turns out alright. I'm really excited about writing this, and I hope you guys like it.

Lena took a deep breath as she poured a bowl of cereal and set it down on the kitchen island. She wanted to apologize, though she knew she’d done nothing wrong. Her niece, Lori, seemed to disagree though. She took it graciously but looked up at Lena and scowled.

She plopped down on one of the chairs and stared angrily into her bowl, but refused to eat.

“I need you to be ready in fifteen minutes, so you gotta be quick, okay?” Lena said as she poured herself a cup of coffee.

“Or I could go to work with you,” Lori prompted, even though she already knew Lena would shoot her down.

Lena sighed and shook her head. “No, you can’t.”

Lori groaned and stirred her cereal with her spoon. “You _used_ to let me go to work with you,” she mumbled and made a face.

Lena took a seat next to her and pulled her hair back into a tight ponytail. She set her hand on Lori’s knee and gave her a reassuring smile.

“I know, but now you need to go to school,” she said softly. “And come on, it won’t be too bad. You’re going to have a nice teacher who you can ask as many questions as you’d like, and you’ll get to be with kids your own age instead of just me.”

Lori groaned. “But I like staying with you.”

Lena stood up and sighed. She ruffled Lori’s hair and kissed the top of her head. “I know you do, and I love it when you stay with me too, but you need to go to school.”

“I don’t want to be with kids my age or a stupid teacher, I want to be with _you_ ,” Lori whined.

Lena raised an eyebrow. “First of all, your teacher is _not_ stupid. And I know, I wish I could stay with you too, but I have to go to work. And wouldn’t you rather be with kids your age instead of with me in my stuffy office?” She asked with a smile, hoping that would enlighten Lori at least a little bit.

But Lori just shook her head.

“Well,” Lena said and picked up Lori’s bowl of cereal. “We are going to be late on your first day, so go get your shoes on.”

She lazily placed the bowl in the sink and made a mental reminder to do the dishes when she got home. Lori trudged (yes, trudged) into the living room and reluctantly put on her shoes on as slowly as she possibly could.

Throughout the car ride, she listed the reasons why Lena should let her come into work, instead of forcing her to spend time with other kids. She told her her uniform was too itchy, and that she wasn’t going to like her teacher, but Lena ignored her. When they pulled in front of the building, Lena went to give Lori a kiss, but she ran out of the car before Lena could even say goodbye.

Lena sighed and shook her head. She reminded herself that she had to be patient with Lori. T

hey’d only been living together for three months, and the fact that Lori was begging not to leave her side meant she’d been making progress. She blinked back her tears as she told herself making Lori attend the first day of fifth grade wasn’t cruel, and she was doing the right thing by making her go to school as normal kids did. She opened her eyes and looked up at her overhead mirror. Trying to push down the voices in her head that were constantly telling her she was a terrible parent was especially hard now, but she couldn't let it phase her.

 _Little boxes,_ she reminded herself. Just until the work day was over, she could unpack all her fears and insecurities once she had finished her work for the day and Lori was fast asleep. 

Lena took a few deep breaths before quickly adjusting her makeup. As she forced a smile and attempted a cheerful yet official CEO look, she reminded herself one last time that she wasn’t doing anything wrong. And after a few more deep breaths, Lena drove across the city to her office.

She’d finally officially taken over as CEO at Luthor Corp. Technically, she had taken over three months, but Lori had come into her life and everything had changed. Though she’d originally planned to rename the company L Corp within her first month as CEO and rebrand it as a force for good, Lori had derailed all of that. She continued to do all she could, she came into work almost every day, normally with Lori by her side. She’d initially anticipated she’d be able to get just as much done with a child in her office as she would without, but Lori proved her wrong almost instantly. So her major plans took three months to develop instead of one like she’d intended. But Lena made a promise to herself, and her company, that when Lori started school, she would really start her position as CEO.

When she arrived, forced back her smile she looked around the large room. Today, she could finally start being as productive as she’d hoped to have been before Lori came into her life. She’d get to start working on all of the projects she’d been putting off for the sake of her niece, now that she was finally in school. And though it wasn't like she hadn't been getting things done before, now she had the opportunity to run her company by her own standards, on her own time frame. Not Lori's.

Lena made her way over to her white desk and drew in a breath. She set her purse down and pulled out her laptop. As she opened it and saw the background, a picture of herself and Lori at the beach, she thought about her niece sitting at her own desk. She was probably surrounded by other children by now and most likely feeling very out of place. She gripped the edges of the table and slowly lowered herself into the black office chair. She closed her eyes and let out a shaky breath.

She was doing the right thing for Lori. She knew that. She just didn’t understand why it was so hard.

* * *

 

Lori sat with four other kids at her small table in the front of the classroom. Her new teacher, Miss. Danvers had told her that she might be a little behind since she was new, so if she had any questions she just needed to raise her hand. Lori just sighed and deflated in her seat. She counted the lines on her loose leaf paper and zoned out. Occasionally, she would try to pay attention. Lena wanted her to try, so she did, if not for herself than for her aunt. But she couldn’t bring herself to care about simple long division problems. The work was easy enough, but what made it worse was hearing kids raise their hand and get the answer wrong. It made her want to bang her head against the table.

As Miss. Danvers began to pace back and forth across the front of the room, she picked her head up so it would at least look like she was paying attention.

“Can anyone tell me what sixty-five divided by five is?” She asked, and the students immediately began solving the problem in their notebooks. All except for Lori though, she sat there silently and didn’t move a muscle.

A boy eagerly raised his hand and Miss. Danvers called on him with a smile. “Is it eleven?”

Miss. Danvers sighed and shook her head. “No, but you’re close,” she said enthusiastically.

Lori groaned and rolled her eyes. It was bad enough she wasn’t getting to spend the day with Lena, but it was even worse being surrounded by children who couldn’t even solve an easy math problem.

“Everybody knows it’s thirteen,” she mumbled.

Miss. Danvers nodded. “Yes, it is thirteen. But everyone is still learning, okay?” She said. She walked over to Lori’s desk and saw she had nothing written on her paper.

“Lori, where’s your work?” She asked.

“I did it in my head,” Lori stated.

Miss. Danvers sighed but gave a small smile. “Okay, but I need you to take notes because some of the problems you won’t be able to do in your head.”

Lori rolled her eyes and looked down at her paper.

Miss. Danvers knew Lori’s attitude was probably just because she didn’t want to be in a new school or away from her family, but she also knew if she didn’t do her work the entire point of her coming to school was pointless. But she decided to let it slide for today, and only today. After all, it was Lori’s first day, she knew the adjustment must’ve been hard.

She made her way over to the board and wrote five practice problems. She told the class they had ten minutes to solve them, and to raise their hands if they needed any help.

She made her way past each desk, watching as her students wrote out their work and solved the problems in front of them. When she approached Lori’s desk, she saw all Lori had written down was answers. She knelt down beside her and sighed.

“Lori, you need to show your work,” she said.

Lori folded her arms over her chest. “But it’s _easy_ , I don’t need to.”

Ms. Danvers nodded. “Alright, it might seem easy now but when we start doing problems with decimals and fractions you won’t be able to do those in your head too.”

Lori looked down at her lap and exhaled. She could solve harder problems in her head too, but she knew Miss. Danvers probably wouldn’t care.

“Fine,” she mumbled and picked up her pencil.

“Thank you,” Miss. Danvers said with a smile before going back to helping the other children. Lori watched her out of the corner of her eye and sighed. Miss. Danvers wasn’t terrible, she was just so _happy_. She wasn’t sure how she was going to make it through the year with someone so positive, but she was sure it was going to be a struggle.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara becomes aware of how smart Lori really is and asks Lena if she's considered putting her in a harder class.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this is really short, but it'll start to pick up its pace soon.

Lena sat on her couch with her computer in her lap. She was surrounded by paperwork and files she had to go through if she wanted to rename her company. But she was determined. It was up to her to make Luthor Corp a force for good and give it the reputation she’d always wanted it to have. As CEO, she could finally make it happen.

She sighed and scrolled through another one of her legal documents. She knew running a company was going to be strenuous, but it was even worse with a ten-year-old constantly demanding her attention.

Lori sat on the couch beside her, doing her homework. But unfortunately for Lena, she finished impressively fast. Maybe most parents would’ve been proud to have a child as intelligent as Lori. And Lena was proud, she constantly praised Lori for how smart she was. But now she was beginning to wish her niece found long division just a little bit complicated so it would take her longer to finish her homework. She just needed an extra five minutes to think, but she had to accept that with a child in the house, that wasn't likely to happen.

“I finished,” Lori said and put her red math folder down on the coffee table.

“Let me check it,” Lena said and held out her hand.

Lori sighed and handed her worksheet to Lena, who furrowed her brows as she looked it over.

“Lori?”

“Yes?”

“I’m not a teacher, but I would assume you’re supposed to show your work,” Lena said and handed the paper back to Lori.

Lori groaned and flopped back down on the couch. “But it’s so easy, it’s like math for babies,” she complained.

Lena sighed. “Then it shouldn’t be hard for you to show your work,” she said and turned back to her laptop.

The next day, Lori began to realize Lena was right. She probably should’ve been interacting with kids her own age. She’d been so focused on how she was dreading her first day, that she’d forgotten to talk or play with any of the other children. And even though it had only been a day, they’d already seemed to have formed their own little groups. They all seemed to have so many friends so fast, it didn't make sense to Lori how it was possible to form little cliques in such minimal time. When she tried to join in on their games at recess, they ran away from her or ignored her altogether. It didn't take long before she realized she was going to be spending her lunch period all alone today.  So she drew in a deep breath, told herself not to cry, and went back to Miss. Danvers’ room.

She stood nervously in the doorway with her lunch box in her hand and watched her teacher grade papers.

Part of her wanted to just go hide in the bathroom. She didn't want to disturb her teacher or give her any reason to dislike her.

Lori bit her lip and willed herself not to cry once more. If Miss. Danvers started hating her too, she would officially be all alone in a sea full of people.

Luckily a few minutes, Miss. Danvers noticed her student standing all alone in the front of the room, swinging her lunch box back and forth to entertain herself.

“Lori?” She said, her voice kind and warm. 

Lori looked up with wide eyes, startled at the sound of her name being called.

“Shouldn’t you be at lunch?” Miss. Danvers asked, her eyes softened when she noticed the child's nervous expression.

Lori shrugged in response. “Is it okay if I stay here?” She asked.

Miss. Danvers nodded with a kind smile. “Of course."

Lori gave her a small smile in response and took her seat at her desk. She took a rather large book out of her backpack and began to read while she ate her lunch. Miss. Danvers noticed at one point she took out a pen and began writing in the book.

She got up and walked over to Lori’s table, then took a seat next to her. “Do you mind showing me what you’re reading?” She asked.

Lori held up her book to show her teacher the cover.

“That’s-- that’s college level trigonometry,” she stammered.

Lori nodded and put the book back on the table. “It used to belong to my mom,” she said.

“Why do you have it?”

Lori bit her lip. Lena told her she was supposed to be nice to her new teacher, and telling her that the work she did in class felt stupid easy probably wasn’t the kindest thing in the world. But Miss. Danvers did ask, and it wasn’t being rude if she was just answering a question.

“Because my aunt made a deal with me. I do five problems every day and then she checks them for me as long as I show my work in class,” she explained.

“With your aunt?”

Lori drew in a breath. “Yeah, I live with her,” she said quietly.

“Oh,” Miss. Danvers managed to force out. She nodded as she processed the information. Lori wasn’t avoiding her work or being defiant. She wasn’t doing it because she was capable of so much more. “Can I take a look at that?” She asked.

Lori nodded slowly before hesitantly handed her the textbook. It was filled with notes in the margins written in sloppy handwriting that clearly belonged to a ten-year-old. Where there were practice problems, Lori had solved each equation and surprisingly gotten every one right.

“You-- you did all of this?” Miss. Danvers asked, her voice filled with surprise.

Lori nodded and took the book back. Before her teacher could respond, the bell rang and students began filing in the classroom.

As she stood up and told the class to take their seats, she watched Lori, who silently put her lunch and textbook back into her backpack. She made her way to the front of the room so she could begin the lesson. The students all pulled out their workbooks and watched but for once Miss. Danvers couldn’t focus. She was too busy thinking about the phone call she would have to make to Lori’s aunt, asking if it was really the best idea for her to be in such an easy class. She’d never been the teacher of a gifted student before, and she wasn’t sure if she should be terrified, or over the moon.

 

* * *

 

Lena was sitting at her desk, typing away a proposal for new investors, when her secretary, Jess, walked in.

“Miss. Luthor, I have a-- uh-- Miss. Danvers on the phone,” she said.

Lena tilted her head in confusion. “One of the investors?”

Jess shook her head. “I think she’s from the school,” she clarified.

Lena’s mouth formed an oh shape and she picked up her phone as Jess scurried out of her office. She sighed and wondered how Lori had already managed to get herself into trouble. It was her second day, it didn’t seem possible for her to have picked a fight with a kid she didn’t like so early on in the year. She glanced at her watch and realized it was almost two, which meant she had a board meeting in fifteen minutes.

“Hello?” Lena said.

“Uh hi, Miss. Luthor I-- I’m Kara Danvers, I’m Lori’s teacher,” Miss. Danvers began. “I need to ask you about Lori’s placement in my class.”

Lena sighed. “Miss. Danvers I--”

“Please, call me Kara.”

“ _Kara_ , I’m sorry but this really isn’t great timing. I have a meeting I have to get to soon-- can you just-- I don’t know-- can you send me an email?” Lena asked. She didn’t intend on coming off as cold or uncaring. She cared about the quality of Lori’s education more than anyone. But she also cared about her company. A company that wasn’t going to run itself.

“I-- I promise this will only take a minute,” Kara insisted.

“Alright, what is it?” Lena asked reluctantly.

Kara took a deep breath and told herself to stop being so nervous before speaking. “Your niece is clearly gifted, I’m sure you know what’s best for her, but I think she would be much happier in a more advanced class.”

“Thank you for your concern, but I assure you, there’s a reason Lori is in your class. After everything she’s been through, I don’t think it would be the best idea to put her in a class for math prodigies or gifted students or-- whatever. What she needs is to be a kid, and she’ll only get to do that if she’s surrounded by other children and treated like a normal child. I’m tutoring her in my free time so she’s still learning new things, but being a fifth grader is what’s best for Lori right now,” Lena said.

Kara sighed and looked over at the rest of her students. She’d told them to work in the groups at their tables while she made this call, and for the most part, they were following her instruction. Most of them were talking and laughing as they did their work, except for Lori. She sat silently and watched the commotion with a straight face. She didn’t bother to interact with the other students, but then again, none of them made the effort to talk to her.

“You’re sure?” Kara asked hopefully.

Lena nodded confidently though she knew Kara couldn’t see her. “I’m sure.”

Kara exhaled as she hung up and put her phone back down on her desk. She considered giving Lori harder problems to do while the rest of the class did their normal work. But she wasn’t sure if Lori’s aunt would approve of that. Being a kid meant doing math meant for kids, not college level trigonometry.

But she wasn’t ready to give up on helping Lori.

Not yet.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and feedback is greatly appreciated :)


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lori makes Lena meet Kara after Kara gives her more advanced work to do in class.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm actually kind of happy with how this turned out, so I hope you guys like it too.

“So, what did you think of your first few days of school?” Lena asked. She sat on Lori’s bed, an old copy of  _ The Wizard of Oz _ in her hand, which she had been reading to Lori every night before she went to bed for the past month. They’d already finished reading it once, but Lori insisted on reading it again. When Lena had asked why they couldn’t read another book, Lori had told her that this was her favorite. Later on, she’d found out Lori’s mother had read it to her before she went to bed before Lori had been placed in the foster system. After that, she decided to read it to Lori as many times as her heart desired. Lena knew better than anyone what it was like to watch the life of her mother be torn away from her, and though Lori’s mother was still alive, Lena knew how hard it was for her niece to be away from her. 

Lori shrugged. “My teachers okay I guess,” she said. 

Lena tilted her head. “Come on, you gotta give me more than that.”

Lori shrugged again, but this time she stayed silent. 

“Alright,” Lena said, dragging the word out. “Have you made any friends? Do you have a favorite subject?” 

“I thought I was going to like science,” Lori admitted. “But it’s not as fun as I thought it would be.”

“What did you want to learn about?” Lena asked. 

“The solar system and planets and stuff. Oh-- and stars,” she explained. 

Lena nodded and grinned. “Well, how about I take you to the museum this Saturday and we can see the planetarium, would you like that?” 

Lori nodded eagerly. “Yeah!” 

Lena pursed her lips and looked at her lap. She inhaled sharply and looked up at Lori. “I’m really sorry I haven’t been getting to see you as much as you’d like. But I promise I’m gonna find a way to make it up to you,” she apologized with a small smile. 

“It’s okay, I just miss you,” Lori said with a hint of sadness to her voice. 

Lena smiled and kissed her niece on the forehead. “I know, I miss you too,” she said and placed a hand on top of Lori’s. “But hey, I’m sure soon you’ll have so many friends that you can hang out with that you won’t even notice I’m at work.”

Lori frowned and shrugged. “Maybe,” she mumbled. She looked down at her lap and averted Lena’s gaze, too ashamed to tell her she hadn’t talked to any of the other kids yet. She’d tried to convince herself she didn’t care about the other kids and if they were her friends or not. But when she saw them all hanging out together, it made her realize she really did want someone by her side to make school a little more bearable. 

Lena used her pointer finger to pick Lori’s head up and gave her a sympathetic look. “What is it?”

Lori sighed. “I don’t know anyone,” she said sadly. “Everyone already has friends and when I tried to talk to them they ran away.”

Lena sighed and pulled Lori into her lap. 

“They all know each other, and I don’t know anyone,” Lori said, and her voice broke. 

“Maybe it’ll take some time, but I’m sure once they get to know you they’ll love you,” Lena said confidently. 

Lori looked up at Lena, her eyes filled with tears. “You don’t know that.” 

“Three months ago you hated me,” Lena pointed out. “And now you argue with me every morning because you’d rather go to work with me then go to school.”

Lori sighed and began to pull a loose thread on her pajama pants. “Yeah, but that’s different.”

“How so?” Lena challenged. 

“Because it just is.” 

“Well, we can talk about this more tomorrow, but right now it is way past your bedtime little miss,” Lena said and put Lori back down on her bed. 

“Fine,” Lori grumbled as Lena tucked her in. 

“I love you,” Lena said and kissed Lori on the forehead once more. 

“I love you too.” 

The next morning as Lori walked into class, Miss. Danvers pulled her aside as the other students took their seats. She guided Lori over to her desk, which made Lori wonder if she was in some sort of trouble. 

“I want you to have these,” Miss. Danvers said and handed Lori a small pile of three books. “These are some of my old workbooks from college,” she explained. “All of my old notes are in there, so if the writing is hard to understand, they might help make it a little easier. But if you have any questions, just let me know and I’ll help you as best as I can.”

Lori scrunched up her eyebrows and tried to figure out why her teacher was doing this for her. 

“I put a schedule in the front cover so you’ll have a set of problems to do each day and explanations to read. I’m not used to teaching this level of math, but I’ll try to help as much as I can,” Miss. Danvers said with a kind smile. 

Lori looked at the books in her hand then back up at her teacher. She wanted to tackle her in a hug. Nobody had ever done anything like this for her. Not even Lena. Sure, Lena tried to teach her as much as she could, but she was so busy. She was always working, which Lori knew wasn’t her fault, but ever since she started school, she’d missed spending the day with her aunt. 

She missed Lena showing her new inventions she was working on, or reading to her about the solar system. The best part of when Lena taught her, was the way she spoke to her as if she were an adult. She didn’t dumb an anything down. Lena spoke to Lori as if she was just as smart as she was, which was initially what started to make Lori feel so accepted living with her. 

But now it felt like everything was changing again. She only saw Lena before and after school and was beginning to fear she’d lose her too. 

However, on some level, Miss. Danvers doing this for her made her feel like she did have someone that cared about her. Even if that person was annoyingly happy and very awkward. She cared, and that was what mattered. 

“Thank you,” she managed to force out.

Miss. Danvers smiled and gave Lori a pat on the shoulder. “Of course, now get back to your desk so I can start teaching,” she said, her grin never leaving her face for a second. 

For the first time, when Kara made her way around the classroom, she saw Lori fully engaged in her work. She was taking notes on a sheet of loose leaf, and showing her work for each problem. 

When the bell rang for lunch and Miss. Danvers dismissed her students, she could feel pride bubbling in the pit of her stomach. She was helping one of her students and had clearly made her excited about learning, which to her, was the best of being a teacher. 

She took a seat at her desk and began flipping through her students work. She had finished grading five spelling tests when she heard the door to her classroom open. She looked up and sighed when she saw Lori standing in her doorway, swinging her lunch box back and forth. 

“Do you want to stay here again?” She asked, though she already knew the answer. 

Lori nodded and made her way to her desk and putting her lunch box on the table. 

“Lori, can I ask you something?”

Lori nodded once more but remained silent. 

“I know being at a new school can be really scary, but wouldn’t you rather sit with the other kids than me?” Miss. Danvers asked. 

Lori shrugged. “I don’t know anyone.” 

“I know, but lunch and recess is a great opportunity to make some new friends,” Miss. Danvers said with a smile. “Don’t you want to play on the jungle gym and run around with everyone else?” 

Lori shook her head. “Not really,” she said, but it wasn’t too convincing. “I mean  _ maybe,  _ but I can’t play on the jungle gym by myself. That’s weird.” 

Miss. Danvers sighed and nodded. She reminded herself that if she was going to argue the logic of a ten-year-old, she was going to get nowhere. 

 

When Lena arrived at the school at 3 pm, she found Lori possibly more excited than she’d ever been before. Her cheeks were flushed pink from smiling so hard, and when Lori became aware of Lena’s presence, she waved her hand in the air to get her attention. 

“You seem happy,” Lena commented and took her niece's hand in her own, ready to walk her to the car. 

Lori nodded with a grin. 

“Did you make some friends?” Lena asked hopefully. 

“No, but I want you to meet my teacher,” Lori said eagerly. 

Lena raised an eyebrow. “How come?”

“Because she gave me these workbooks with the kind of stuff you teach me. And it wasn’t that hard, but it was so much fun because it wasn’t boring and dumb baby math like everyone else is doing.  _ And _ , she said I don’t have to do the easy stuff, as long as I do the stuff from my new books,” Lori rambled, somehow managing to get everything out in one breath. 

Lena wanted to say no. She had a conference call in an hour, and it was a thirty-minute drive back to their apartment. But Lori was looking at her with the biggest most adorable eyes she’d ever seen, and saying no to her would’ve been the equivalent of kicking a puppy. So she let out a reluctant sigh and agreed. 

Lori tugged on her arm and guided her back into the building. When Lena wasn’t walking fast enough for her liking, she pulled even harder until eventually, they were practically jogging down the halls to find Lori’s teacher. 

“This is her room,” Lori said before knocking on the door. 

“Come in.” 

Lori pushed the door open and stepped inside the classroom with Lena a step behind her. 

“Lori, did you forget something?” Miss. Danvers asked. 

Lori shook her head. “This is my aunt Lena,” she said excitedly. 

Miss. Danvers got up from her desk and walked to the other end of the room. She smiled and politely shook Lena’s hand. 

“We spoke on the phone the other day,” Lena said to Lori before turning back to Miss. Danvers. “It’s nice to meet you, Kara.”

“It’s nice to meet you too. Did you need something?” Miss. Danvers asked, still confused as to why Lori and Lena were here. 

Lena blushed and shook her head. “No, I’m sorry for barging in on you like this, but Lori practically dragged me up here to meet you. She said something about you giving her more challenging work.”

Miss. Danvers nodded. “I saw her doing trigonometry the other day so I’m letting her use some of my old workbooks from college so she won’t just be relearning things she already knows,” she explained. “But if you aren’t okay with that I can go back to having her do the same problems as everyone else,” she added quickly, just in case Lena wasn’t happy with her decision. 

“Oh-- no, it’s fine. As long as she’s learning,” Lena said with a smile. 

She gave Lori’s hand a squeeze to get her attention. “Now, we probably should be going, because I’m sure Miss. Danvers has a ton of work to do.”

“You don’t know that,” Lori argued. 

Lena raised an eyebrow at the statement. “Okay then,  _ I _ have a lot of work to do,” she said. 

Lori sighed. “Alright,” she mumbled. 

“It was great meeting you, Lena” Miss. Danvers said with a grin. 

“You too, Kara,” Lena said with a smile before walking out of the classroom. 

_ At least Lori’s excited about school _ . She thought to herself.  _ That’s what matters.  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I'm sorry Kara and Lena haven't interacted too much yet. I wanted to establish relationships with Lena and Lori and Kara and Lori first because those are just as important to the story. But once I have a completed outline (it'll probably be done by tomorrow) I'll have a better idea of what direction I want to take this story in, and Kara and Lena's lives will be explored a lot more.   
> Comments and feedback is greatly appreciated :)


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lena runs into Kara at the park. Some fluff before the angst begins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! So I'm not sure if I want Kara to be an alien/Supergirl in this fic or have her as a human. I have some ideas on what I would do if she were an alien, but I'm not sure how I would make them work with this storyline. So if you want her to be Supergirl please let me know and I'll gladly write it.

“Don’t go too far, okay?” Lena said firmly. She was kneeling beside Lori, who shot her an unimpressed look.

“I won’t,” she said.

“And don’t talk to strangers. And don’t go where I can’t see you, I don’t want to lose you,” Lena said.

Lori sighed. “I won’t,” she mumbled. “It’s just a playground, you’re being paranoid.”

Lena shook her head. “No, I just want to keep you safe,” she argued, though she knew Lori was right.

She was being paranoid, but it was only because these past few months Lori hadn’t done things normal kids do. She was still recovering from being taken out of her home and placed with Lena in addition to adjusting to living with someone other than her mother. Over the three months, Lena had been Lori’s guardian, Lori had never gotten to really act like a kid.

Now that she thought of it, she wasn’t sure if Lori had _ever_ gotten to just be a kid.

Lena knew letting her child play on the park jungle gym by herself wasn’t a big deal for most families. She also knew most parents would like their kids being independent, so they could have a minute to themselves. But Lena couldn’t help but want to wrap Lori up in bubble wrap and shield her from any harm she could possibly face.

“Can I go now?” Lori asked and folded her arms over her chest.

“Alright, I’ll be over there if you need me,” Lena said and pointed to one of the benches.

“Okay.” Lori turned around and ran towards the playground.

“And if you see anything gross on the ground don’t touch it!” Lena called out, but she was sure Lori, who was swinging on the monkey bars, was completely ignoring her by now.

She sighed and made her way over to one of the benches.

 _Is this how moms feel?_ She asked herself. _Because it’s awful, really_.

She took out her phone and began to scroll through her unread emails. She let out an exasperated breath when she saw she had three back to back meetings on Monday all before her lunch break. Lena ran her hand through her hair and shook her head.

Out of her peripheral vision, she saw a wave of familiar looking blonde hair.

Lena lowered her phone and narrowed her eyes as she tried to figure out why the woman at the end of the bench seemed so familiar. After a few minutes, she caught Lena staring and turned around.

“Lena?”

“Oh-- Kara, hi I-- wha- what are you doing here?” She stammered.

“I come here to read sometimes,” Kara explained and held up her book for Lena to see.

“Oh,” Lena said quietly.

“Are you here with Lori?”

Lena nodded. “Yeah,” she said and tried to spot her in the mess of children that scattered the park. “She’s… somewhere around here,” she said with a nervous chuckle.

“There she is,” Kara said, and pointed to slide. A short brunette in a bright pink jacket and jeans stood at the top and looked down.

Lena nodded with a laugh before turning back to Kara.

“I’ve actually been meaning to thank you for what you did for Lori. She loves the books,” Lena said with a smile.

“Oh, it was nothing,” Kara brushed it off. “I just didn’t think it would be fair to Lori to have to sit in class all day and not learn anything.”

Lena nodded. “I agree.”

Kara tilted her head and took in Lena’s facial features. It went without saying that Lena was pretty, but something about her almost seemed familiar.

When Lena noticed Kara closely inspecting her, she quirked an eyebrow and smiled awkwardly to break the tension.

“I-- I’m sorry, I just feel like I’ve seen you somewhere before,” Kara admitted with a nervous laugh.

Lena sighed and nodded. “Yeah… I just took over as CEO at Luthor Corp, so I’m assuming they’ve talked about that on the news or whatever,” she said casually.

“Wait, so you’re like _the_ Lena Luthor?” Kara blurted out.

Lena pursed her lips. She wasn’t sure if she should take it as a compliment, or go find Lori and tell her it was time to go home.

“Yeah, I am,” she said reluctantly.

Kara’s eyes widened at the confessions and her cheeks flushed pink. “I’m sorry I-- I’ve just-- I’ve read about you online-- oh God that-- that sounded really creepy-- what I meant was, I read about you taking over the company and I-- I thought that was so amazing. I mean, I heard about what you were planning on doing and it’s--” she took a deep breath when she realized she’d been rambling. “I’m sorry-- that sounded really weird,” she said with a nervous chuckle.

Lena grinned and shook her head. “No, it’s refreshing,” she said with a sincere smile. “Everyone has an opinion on the direction I want to take Luthor Corp in, so it’s nice to hear a positive one for once.”

Kara blushed and looked down at her lap. “I’ll admit, sometimes I wish I had older students so I could teach them about feminism and empowering women.”

“I think you could still teach your students that kind of thing. Maybe not as in-depth because they’re still so young, but you’re teaching young impressionable children. They, especially the girls, need to know that they’re all equal and worthy of the same opportunities,” Lena said.

Kara nodded and thought about what Lena said. She wasn’t wrong, her students deserved to feel empowered just as much as high schoolers did.

Lena opened her mouth to speak again, but before she could say anything, she saw Lori running towards her.

“Lena, I’m hungry, can we go home?” Lori asked, clearly out of breath.

She noticed Kara sitting next to Lena, and waved at her with a smile.

“Hi, Miss. Danvers,” she said with a grin.

Kara smiled. “Hey, Lori.”

She turned back to Lena and put her hands on her aunt's knees before rocking back and forth on the balls of her feet.

“Can we go home for lunch?” She asked eagerly.

Lena nodded and stood up. She took Lori’s hand in her own and turned back to Kara momentarily.

“It was really nice seeing you again,” she said.

“Yeah, it was great to see you too,” Kara said with a warm smile.

When they got back from the park, Lena made Lori lunch and sat down with her at the kitchen island.

“Did you have fun at the park?” Lena asked as she handed Lori a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

“Yeah,” Lori nodded with a grin. “Did you know that the jungle gym makes up twelve right triangles? But the swing set makes another four.”

Lena shook her head. “No, I didn’t know that.”

“And there were four ladders, the little ones on the monkey bars had five steps but the big one by the slide had eight. I did the monkey bars three times but I went on the slide six times so I went up and down seventy-eight steps,” Lori added.

“You counted all that?” Lena asked. She’d noticed Lori standing at the slide and looking down at the ground beneath her, but she assumed it was because she was scared of being so high and was considering climbing back down. She would’ve never suspected she would’ve counted every step and every triangle in the park.

Lori smiled. “But I only went up sixty-three steps,” she clarified.

Lena nodded once more. “When did you figure that out?”

Lori shrugged. “Just now,” she said nonchalantly. “Why were you talking to Miss. Danvers?”

Lena drew in a breath. She wasn’t sure why, but Lori’s question made her heart race. It was the same feeling as when her mother had asked her if she had a crush when she was a teenager. Sure, that feeling was accompanied by fear and anxiety because Lillian wasn’t the type of person to ask about Lena’s life without having the intention of using it against her. But the feeling that she had something to hide was there, even though she knew she’d done nothing wrong.

“She just happened to be there,” Lena explained.

“And it was nice having someone to talk to while you played,” she admitted.

Lori nodded slowly. “What did you talk about?”

“You,” Lena said, which made Lori smile. “And Luthor Corp,” which made Lori’s face fall.

Lori didn’t have a complete understanding of what Lena did as a CEO. Mostly because she didn’t like it when Lena went to work, because it meant they would be apart all day. So she didn’t like it when Lena talked about it at home, because it reminded her that Lena was going to leave again the next morning. But she knew enough about the company and Lena’s position to dislike it. She never gave a reason for her negative feelings for Luthor Corp, other than it made Lena work too much of course.

“What did you say about me?” She asked to change the subject.

“I thanked her for giving you the books, and I said you really liked them,” Lena responded.

“What else?”

“That was kind of it.”

Lori sighed and nodded. “Can we do more work from the new books today?” She asked, and Lena nodded with a smile.

“I’ll go get them,” she said before making her way to Lori’s bedroom.

She knew Lori didn’t need her help with most of the problems if any. But she humored her because she was possibly the first person to acknowledge Lori’s intelligence. And besides, she found it fun hanging out with someone as nerdy as she was.

Even if that person was a child and four feet tall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry if that was a mess, it's almost 1 am so I'm very tired and didn't do many revisions.  
> Comments and feedback is greatly appreciated :)


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lena lets Lori miss school so they can spend the day together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sure if anyone is going to like this chapter because it isn't Supercorp, but I thought it was important. So please don't hate me.

Lena sauntered into Lori’s room Monday morning with more energy then she’d had in a long time. She wasn’t sure if it was the sunlight shining through the penthouse windows, or the fact that by next week, Luthor Corp would officially be renamed L Corp. But whatever it was, Lena hoped the feeling never left.

“Okay, I made waffles, so you gotta go hurry up if you want to eat here and not in the car,” she said with a grin. She’d told herself she would start making Lori better breakfasts and lunches so that she wouldn’t dread getting out bed and going to school every day. It was going pretty well so far, and she’d only set the smoke alarm off twice, which was her new record. And, she'd managed to make Lori a healthy but appealing lunch, with a note and cute little drawing all before seven, which she thought was something to be proud of. 

But Lena’s smile fell when she saw Lori sitting in bed, still wearing her pajamas.

“Come on, you gotta get ready or we’re gonna be late. You can wear your new shoes today,” Lena said and clasped her hands together, hoping some of her energy would rub off on Lori. But Lori just sat stiffly, her lips pursed into a straight line, just like Lena’s did when she was upset or uncomfortable.

“I don’t want to wear my new shoes,” she said firmly.

“Okay,” Lena said, dragging out the word. “Well, you can wear whatever you want, you just need to get dressed now.”

She walked over to Lori’s dresser and picked out a few pairs of t-shirts and jeans and set them down on her bed.

“Do you want me to help you pick out an outfit?” She offered as she compared two of Lori’s shirts side by side.

Lori shook her head and laid back down. She rolled over onto her side and hid her face in her pillow. She picked up the covers and covered her head. When Lena noticed, she quickly sat down the bed beside her and placed a gentle hand on where she assumed Lori’s shoulder would be.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” She asked softly. “Are you sick? Does your belly hurt?”

She bit her lip as she was overcome with nerves. If something was wrong she should’ve noticed. She should’ve seen it if Lori was coming down with something. She was the closest thing Lori had to a mom now, she needed to start acting like a responsible parent and not a teenage babysitter.

“I don’t wanna go to school,” Lori’s voice was muffled by her blanket, but Lena was able to make out her words with some effort.

“Why not? I thought you liked Miss. Danvers?” She asked and pulled the blanket down.

Lori avoided her gaze and stared at the floor. She didn’t make an effort to sit up, instead, she buried the side of her face further into her pillow.

“Did something happen?” Lena asked hesitantly. If something had happened, she would’ve hoped Lori would’ve told her. But if something did happen, she understood if Lori wouldn’t want to talk about it. Lena couldn’t count how many in-school incidents she’d kept a secret from her mother when she was a child. She did get where Lori was coming from. She also knew if Lori was keeping something from her, it was because she had trouble trusting people, not because she had anything against Lena. However, the voice that told her she hadn’t done anything wrong was drowned out by the one that told her she was going to become a worse mother than Lillian had been.

“No,” Lori said quietly.

“Then why don’t you want to go,” Lena asked, her voice full of confusion.

Lori sighed. “I don’t know anybody.”

Lena nodded sympathetically. “Have you been talking to the other kids at lunch?” She asked.

Lori shrugged. “I try, but they always ignore me. They think I’m weird.”

"You know, there's nothing wrong with being weird," Lena said in hopes it would somewhat lift Lori's spirits. "I'm weird and you still think I'm cool." 

“Please don’t make me go,” Lori begged and looked up at Lena. Her eyes were filled with tears that threatened to spill and her bottom lip began to tremble. "I hate it there, it's so big and loud and none of the other kids are nice and I miss you." 

Lena sighed. Lori's statement broke her heart. And though she knew technically she couldn't miss work because she had back to back meetings, hearing the way Lori described school made her forget about all of that almost instantly. 

“Alright,” she agreed. She could manage her way around it, she was the CEO, it wasn't like she would get in much trouble. “Do you want to come to work with me?”

Lori immediately brightened up and gave a smiley nod.

* * *

When they arrived at Luthor Corp, Lena took Lori to the break room to get her a hot-chocolate and cookie, then rode the elevator up to Lena's office. They stopped once in to see Jess, Lori gave her a big hug and told her she missed coming to work every day, and Jess showed her how she still had the drawing Lori made for her hung above her desk. Lena then told Jess to reschedule all of her meetings for another day, which Jess was onto quickly. And as they walked into Lena's office, Lena made a mental note to herself to give her receptionist a raise as a thank you for everything she’d done for her.

“Okay, so I have some stuff to get done but I promise, I'll be with you soon. How about you hang out for about an hour then I can take a break and we can do something fun for a little while. Does that sound okay?” Lena suggested as she sat down at her desk and opened up her laptop.

“That sounds good,” Lori said with a smile as she sat down on the grey rug next to the coffee table. She opened up her backpack and took out one of Lena’s old physics books.

“Just let me know if you need anything,” Lena said before turning to her work. 

Lori read ten pages on quantum entanglement before she got bored and took out the college math textbook Miss. Danvers had given her. She quickly completed the problems she’d been assigned for today and moved on to tomorrows work. Once she finished that, she decided she probably shouldn’t do anymore. She didn’t want her teacher to get mad at her, especially since it seemed like Miss. Danvers was the only person in school who actually liked her. So she got up and walked over to Lena.

“What are you working on?” She asked and peered over at her laptop.

“I’m renaming the company L Corp, I’m writing my speech for the ceremony,” Lena said proudly.

“Am I gonna be there?” Lori asked hopefully.

Lena sighed. “You’re gonna be in school,” she said, and Lori frowned.

Lena tilted her head and exhaled. “Alright, _maybe_ you can come,” she said. She wasn’t sure why, but she found it physically impossible to say no when Lori looked at her with those big sad eyes.

Lori smiled excitedly and clapped her hands together. She bounced up and down eagerly, which made Lena laugh.

“Is writing a speech like writing an essay?” Lori asked and rocked back and forth on her heels.

“Kind of. The structure is very similar,” Lena explained. “Have you started writing essays in school?”

Lori shook her head. “No, but we started reading this book called _The Giver_ and I think Miss. Danvers is gonna make us write about it,” she said and made a face.

Lena forced back a laugh at Lori’s expression. “You don’t like writing.”

“It’s so boring,” Lori groaned.

Lena smiled and nodded. “What have you been working on?” She asked. “I’d like to hope you’ve been doing something productive so that I didn’t pull you out of school for nothing,” she said teasingly.

“I read some of your old physics book then I did my math work.”

“What did you think of the physics book?” Lena asked.

Lori shrugged. “It was kind of boring. I understood it though.”

Lena nodded. “I thought so too,” she said. She was honestly still surprised by Lori’s statement. She found it hard to believe that someone as little as she was could comprehend such advanced science and breeze through a reading that most of her college friends had struggled with.

It didn’t happen often, but sometimes Lena would forget just how smart Lori was. When she saw her in her pajamas, playing with her dolls, or singing along loudly to the car radio, Lori seemed like any other kid. Sure, Lena still thought she was perfect in every way, but that was something most parents thought about their children.

But then, they would eat dinner together and Lori would say something about how Miss. Danvers graded an average of a five hundred and ten homework assignments in a month if she assigned fifteen homeworks to her thirty-four students. Lena would stare at her for a second and remember just how smart her niece really was.

“I’m bored now,” Lori said, stating the obvious.

Lena nodded. “I can tell,” she said with a chuckle. “I still have some work I need to finish up before we can take a break, so do you want to play a game on my phone for the time being?”

Lori nodded and gladly accepted Lena’s phone before skipping back over to the couch. After about fifteen minutes or so, Lena finished up her work for the morning and could afford to take her lunch break.

She closed her laptop and walked over to Lori, who was lying on the couch on her stomach and watching cartoons. She knelt down beside her and tapped Lori on the shoulder.

“Hey, do you want to get some lunch?” She asked, to which Lori nodded happily.

Lena took Lori to a nearby cafe where they sat at a small table near the window. They watched people passing by, which fascinated Lori. She hadn’t grown up in an urban area, so she was still amazed at how many people roamed the streets of National City.

After a while, Lena noticed she started to get uncharacteristically quiet.

“You alright, Lori?” She asked.

“What was my dad like?” Lori blurted out.

Lena drew in a breath as she processed the question. Lori had never mentioned her father before, and she seldom ever spoke of her mother. When she first moved in with Lena, she used to cry every night because her mom wasn’t there with her. But whenever Lena tried to comfort her, she pushed her away. The few times Lori did bring up her mom, it was trivial details, like how they’d read the Wizard Of Oz together.

Of course, there was the one time Lori had hid in her room for hours after seeing Lena open a bottle of wine. Lori had never told Lena exactly why she had been so afraid, but Lena had her assumptions.

“Your dad?” Lena repeated hesitantly.

Lori nodded.

“Well… when we were younger, he was my best friend,” Lena began and looked down at her lunch. But suddenly her appetite was gone.

“I was a lot like you growing up. I didn’t have any friends in school. But I had Lex. Sometimes it felt like he was the only person who loved me,” she admitted. Tears burned in her eyes, blurring her vision.

“If he loved you, why didn’t he love me?” Lori asked, and Lena felt her heart shatter inside her chest. “Did I do something to make him leave?”

She looked up and took Lori’s hands in her own. She shook her head sadly and willed herself not to cry.

“No, you didn’t do anything wrong,” she said softly. “I need you to remember that, you didn’t do _anything_ wrong.”

“Then why did he leave?”

Lena sighed. “Because over time he became a really bad person, he forgot what it meant to love and he became a hateful person,” she explained as delicately as she could. She knew now wasn’t the time to have the ‘ _your dads in jail for killing twelve people_ ’ conversation. So all she could do was make sure Lori knew nothing that happened was her fault.

Lori chewed on her lip as she took in Lena’s words.

“Will I ever become as terrible as he was?” Lori asked, her eyes wide with fear.

Lena shook her head. “No, because you’re a good person, Lori. You didn’t do anything to make him the way he is, and you will _never_ end up like him.”

Lori sighed, her face was skeptical. “How do you know?” She asked.

“Because I know you,” Lena said firmly yet kindly. “The difference between you and him is that you want to be good, he didn’t. As long as you remember the person you want to be, you will never end up like him.”

Lori sighed and nodded.

“Hey,” Lena said, and Lori looked back up at her. “I want you to say it, say you are good, and nothing will change that.”

“I am good, and nothing will change that,” Lori said quietly.

Lena gave a small smile and squeezed Lori’s hand. “I spent a lot of time thinking I was a terrible person because of the things Lex has done. And it made me feel really bad about the person I am. So if you ever start to feel unsure or like you’ve done something wrong, I want you to say _I am good, and nothing will change that_.”

“I am good, and nothing will change that,” Lori repeated.

Lena smiled and nodded.

“And you aren’t terrible, you’re the best person in the world,” Lori said with a grin.

Lena smiled brightly and looked down at her lap. “Thank you.”

Lori got up and walked over to Lena. She wrapped her arms around her neck and hugged her tightly.

“I love you,” she said.

Lena felt tears begin to form once more as she managed to tell Lori she loved her too. She pulled Lori up onto her lap and hugged her once more. She closed her eyes and drew in a breath. For the first time, she was starting to feel like maybe she wouldn’t completely mess up Lori’s life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really sorry Kara wasn't in this chapter. She will be in the next one, I just wanted to establish the relationship between Lena and Lori before I started forming any romantic ones. So I'm really sorry if this was disappointing, I just felt like I needed to write this.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lena is late picking up Lori from school and has a conversation with Kara where they plan a coffee date so they can get to know each other better. Lori gets upset because Lena was late.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't revise this at all so this chapter is a disaster and I'm sorry.

“Fuck,” Lena muttered as she ran up to Lori’s elementary school. There were no students outside, which meant she was later for pick up then she’d originally anticipated.

So far she’d managed to pick Lori up from school on time every day. She’d even started leaving work thirty minutes early so she could beat traffic and get to Lori before 3:30. But today her board meeting ran late, then Jess informed her that their CFO had stepped down, and they would need to find a new one. By then, it was almost two, but Lena had had to stay back and look through the people she had considered for CFO in the past. She then told Jess to send out an email to all of the past candidates so that Lena could start her search for a new one.

By the time she left her office, it was three, which was when Lori got out of school. She was then delayed by traffic for additional fifteen minutes despite, which erased the fact that she’d ran three red lights and had been driving above the speed limit so she could get to Lori’s school by 3:20.

It wasn’t until 3:40 that Lena arrived at the elementary school, and all but sprinted inside and down the halls until she reached Miss. Danvers’ classroom. Her heels clicked loudly against the tile and she cursed herself for choosing to wear a pencil skirt today of all days.

She took a second to catch her breath before opening the door to the classroom more forcefully than intended. Lori, who was sitting at Miss. Danvers’ desk with her teacher snapped her head around at the noise.

“Lori, I’m so sorry I wasn’t here for you sooner, I got caught up at work and then I got stuck in traffic,” she said between breaths as she walked over to her niece.

“Thank you for waiting with her Kara, I’m so sorry for the inconvenience,” Lena added.

Kara smiled and shook her head. “It’s not a problem, Lori was great, she even helped me grade some papers.”

Lori nodded and stood up. She picked up her backpack and swung it over her shoulders. “Yeah, and sometimes Miss. Danvers would make a mistake and I would have to correct her,” she said with a giggle.

“Hey, I thought we agreed to keep that a secret?” Kara said and pretended to be offended.

Lena grinned and looked from Kara to Lori. “Well, thank you for keeping her entertained,” she said and smoothed out Loir’s hair.

“Okay, are you forgetting anything, or are we good to go?” She asked.

“I’m good.”

Kara stood up and drew in a breath. “Actually, Lena, before you go, can I talk to you for a minute?” She asked.

Lena nodded, slightly nervous as to why Kara wanted to speak to her. She wasn’t a student, so she couldn’t technically get in trouble, but she felt like she was about to get lectured on her parenting skills, or lack thereof for that matter since she’d been so late to pick up Lori.

“Yeah,” she said hesitantly. “Lori, can you go wait in the hall for a minute?”

Lori sighed and nodded before walking out of the room.

Lena sat down in front of Kara’s desk in the same chair Lori had been sitting in earlier. She folded her hands in her lap as she waited for Kara to speak.

“So, Lori wasn’t in school yesterday,” Kara began.

Lena nodded. “I meant to e-mail you-- I’m sorry I totally forgot,” she said quickly. Her heart rate picked up its pace. Lori had only been in school for two weeks, and already she was messing things up. Lena knew she was probably overreacting, but it felt like she was already starting to damage their relationship.

“She’s just been having a hard time and-- I know, it was irresponsible and she won’t miss anymore unless she’s sick. She’s just been having a rough time adjusting to everything, and she needed the day off,” Lena explained.

Kara gave an understanding smile and nodded.

“That’s actually what I needed to talk to you about,” She said as she crossed one leg over the other. “I don’t know if she told you, but she’s been eating lunch in my room for the past two weeks.”

“Oh,” Lena said softly. “No, I-- I didn’t know.”

She clenched her jaw as a feeling of embarrassment washed over her. She was starting to feel like she didn’t know anything about Lori anymore. Sure she knew the important details. But it seemed like everything else she had yet to find out.

However, Lena knew she couldn’t blame Lori for this. She knew Lori hadn’t grown up in the warmest environment, to say the least. But it was beginning to feel like for every step two steps they took forward, they took one backward.

“I know she hasn’t really been talking to the other kids, but that’s pretty much it,” Lena said quietly, the shame in her voice was evident.

Kara nodded solemnly. “I think it would be good for her if she was able to socialize a little more. She’s very smart for her age, she might even be smarter then I am--” she admitted with a light laugh. “But I think she would have an easier time getting used to everything if she had someone to adjust with.”

Lena sighed. “Yeah, I’ve been telling her that but I don’t think she gets it yet,” she said with a humorless chuckle.

“I’ll talk to her though,” she added.

Kara smiled. “Thank you, as much as I enjoy having lunch with her I think she’d much rather hang out with other kids.”

Lena nodded and gave a small smile. “Yeah, I agree completely.”

She stood up and pushed her chair in. “I should probably get Lori now,” she said when she remembered her niece was still sitting alone in the hallway.

"Right," Kara said with a grin. "Oh-- I've been meaning to ask, would you want to get coffee sometime? We could talk Lori or just... you know, get to know each other."

Lena smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I'd really like that."

"Great, I'll text you," Kara said with an excited grin.

Lena then excused herself before walking to Lori, who was sitting on the floor in the hall.

She stayed silent the entire car ride back to their penthouse. If Lena tried to make conversation, she looked blankly out the window and ignored her. Eventually, Lena took the hint and stopped trying to get her talk. When they arrived back home, Lori walked straight to her room without a word. Lena knocked on the door a few times and asked if she could come in, but Lori never responded. She would poke her head in to make sure she hadn’t gotten hurt and was still alive, but Lori would always shoot her a glare and she would walk back to the living room.

She tried to focus on finding a new CFO, but she couldn’t stop staring at Lori’s bedroom door. It was begging her, she _needed_ to talk to Lori, she needed to ask her what was wrong. The little voice in her head was nagging at her to do something, anything, but she knew Lori probably just needed some space right now. However, Lena’s need to fix everything got the best of her.

She knocked on Lori’s door, and when there was no response, she walked inside.

“Hey, can I talk to you?” She asked and sat down on Lori’s bed.

Lori scootched away from her, but she didn’t object.

“If something happened today, you can tell me. You know that, right? Even if you’re just mad at me because I screwed something up, you can let me know,” Lena said softly.

Lori sighed. “You were late.”

“What?”

“You were late,” she repeated. “You were supposed to be at school at 3:00.”

Lena sighed and nodded. “I know, and I’m really sorry. It won’t happen again.”

“You said you wouldn’t be late,” Lori said, she raised her voice slightly.

Lena bit her lip and looked down at her lip. “I’m really sorry.”

“You can’t do that,” Lori said, and her voice broke. “You can’t leave me.”

Lena looked up when she realized why Lori was upset. “I’m not gonna leave you, Lori,” she said softly. But Lori frowned and shook her head.

“You’re supposed to be on time,” she said. Her eyes were filled with tears, but Lena could tell she was forcing herself to not cry.

Lena nodded. “I know, it won’t happen again,” she said soothingly, in hopes it would calm Lori down. But Lori’s cheeks turned pink with what was either anger or sadness. Or maybe a mixture of both. Lena couldn’t be sure.

“You’re supposed to-- to be on time and not forget about me,” Lori cried as tears began to fall down her cheeks.

Lena stayed silent, she wanted to apologize and make it all better, but she couldn’t seem to form the words.

“You-- you’re supposed to stay,” she continued.

Lena nodded sadly. “I know,” she managed to whisper.

“You’re supposed to be there,” Lori cried. “You’re supposed to be different.”

Lena inhaled sharply as she felt tears begin to sting in her eyes. But she couldn’t let herself cry. After all, Lori was right. She needed to be better. She needed to start putting her niece first, she needed to start caring about someone other than herself. She needed to take care of a life that wasn’t her own and value it more than she did hers.

“I’m gonna be better, I promise,” she forced out and swallowed the lump in her throat.

Lori shook her eyes as more tears began to fall. “You can’t say that,” she sobbed. “Because she always said she was gonna be better. She said she-- she was gonna stay a- and-- and she was gonna start being there a-- and taking care of me. And she was always lying, so you can’t do that,” she cried.

“Who was lying?” Lena whispered, though she already knew the answer.

“My mom, you-- you can’t be my mom,” Lori said and lowered her voice.

“Lori, I’m not going hurt you the way she did. I would never do that,” Lena said softly. Her green eyes filled with tears as they begged Lori to believe her.

“You have to be better,” she cried quietly. Lena knew Lori meant she had to be better than her mom, but she couldn’t help but feel like she’d taken a shot at her parenting skills.

Lena inched over to Lori. “I know,” she said softly. When she noticed Lori hadn’t moved away, she pulled her into a hug. When she was sure Lori was okay with the contact, she held her in her lap. “I’m gonna be better.”

Lori let out another sob before burying her face in Lena’s chest. She cried quietly into Lena’s shirt, while Lena held onto her tightly. She rubbed circles on her back and stayed quiet as she let Lori be the one to calm herself down. Every so often, she would whisper words of reassurance and apologize or tell Lori she loved her, but other than that she stayed silent.

As time continued to pass, Lori’s cries began to quiet down. Lena rested her head on top of Lori’s and willed herself not to cry. The girl she was holding in her shaky arms was so small yet carried such a great burden. She could only try to support the weight Lori carried on her shoulders and hope that would be enough.

Eventually, Lori’s breathing began to even out and Lena knew she’d fallen asleep. Instead of letting her lie down, Lena continued to hold her. She needed to be there for Lori, even if Lori was completely unaware of it.

“I’m never gonna leave you,” she whispered and kissed the top of her head. “I promise I’ll never leave.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so I'm sorry about the angst but after a few chapters of fluff, I thought this was needed. Also some shameless self-promo (actually there's a lot of shame in this)- I've started posting stuff about this story on my Tumblr. So if you want to see my annoying headcanons and thoughts about this AU, my account is @God HatesOliviaa. So yeah, don't be shy, you guys can message me about anything and I'll do my best to reply quickly.  
> Comments and feedback is greatly appreciated :)


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara and Lena go on a coffee date.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story has been pretty Lena centric, so this chapter kind of focuses on Kara. I tried to make the tone a little different since it's about a different character, but I'm not sure if it worked. But yeah, I hope you guys like this!

Kara wasn’t sure if she’d ever been this jittery. She knew it was her nerves, but she wasn’t quite sure it was about. Maybe it was because Lena was the CEO of a multi-billion dollar company and she was just a teacher. Or maybe it was because Lena was one of her idols, and now it seemed like they were becoming friends. These were all factors of course, but Kara knew that wasn’t all of it. She just couldn’t put her finger on what it was.

She spent almost forty-five minutes trying to find an outfit. Every time she found something she looked good in, there was a little voice in the back of her head telling her she could do better. Once she’d found the right clothes, her entire wardrobe was scattered across her bedroom floor. She sighed and made a mental note to clean it up after she’d finished her grading.

When Kara arrived at the cafe, she felt her breath hitch when she saw Lena. She was sitting at a table towards the back. She was on her phone and completely unaware of Kara’s presence, which made Kara internally scold herself for watching Lena like such a creep.

She smiled as she sat down at the chair across from her. Lena put her phone down and looked up at her, she smiled in return and brushed a stray hair out of her face.

“Hey, sorry, I didn’t see you come in, it’s Lori’s first time staying with a babysitter and I’m a little paranoid,” Lena said with a light laugh.

“Were you stress texting?” Kara asked.

Lena blushed and nodded. “I might’ve been,” she admitted. “But, we always talk about Lori. I’d rather get to know you now.”

“Me?” Kara said and pointed to herself awkwardly. Lena was so fascinating and amazing, why did she want to know about her of all people?

Lena nodded. “Of course,” she said and smiled as if it were obvious.

“Well, what do you want to know?” Kara asked.

Lena shrugged. “Anything I guess. Where are you from? Do you have any pets? Why did you become a teacher? Stuff like that,” she prompted.

Kara nodded as she tried to formulate something interesting she could tell Lena. “Well, I’m from Midvale. I had a cat when I was thirteen, but he wasn’t really mine. He was a stray I found in our back yard and I took care of him until my foster mom Eliza found out,” she rambled and gave a nervous laugh. “Once she realized I’d been stealing food to give to him, she was pretty mad. But when she saw him she let us take him in, I guess she felt bad for him-- and me. I think she saw how he reminded me of myself.”

Lena smiled. “That’s adorable,” she said.

“If you don’t mind me asking,  you said foster mom,” Lena commented.

Kara drew in a breath and nodded slowly. “Yeah, my parents died when I was thirteen and I’ve lived with a foster family ever since.”

“Oh, I-- I’m so sorry,” Lena said softly.

“Thank you. It was really heard but Eliza-- she’s amazing, and her daughter-- my sister Alex is incredible too. I honestly can’t imagine my life without them,” Kara said with a small smile.

She wasn’t sure why she was telling Lena all this, but it felt right. Lena was so easy to talk to, and she knew she wasn’t going to judge her for any of this. Besides, she knew Lori was going through something relatively similar, so maybe it would be nice for Lena to know her niece wasn’t alone.

“I’m really glad you found them,” Lena said sincerely.

Kara nodded. “I am too.”

Lena anxiously began to fidget with her fingers. Kara had spent most of her life with a mother that wasn’t biologically her own and she’d turned out alright, so maybe Lori would too. But as soon as the feeling crept up on her, she pushed it down. She couldn't use Kara's story for reassurance, that was just wrong. She knew it was wrong.

But even so, it gave her just a tiny sliver of hope that maybe one day she would become like a real mom to Lori.

“So, why did you become a teacher?” She asked, feeling the need to change the subject. If she thought about this any longer, she was sure to get emotional, she didn’t want to humiliate herself in front of Kara.

“Well, kids are the future, and I think they all deserve a fair shot at a good education. So if I can be the one to teach them something that they’ll hopefully remember for a long time, that’s enough for me,” Kara explained. “I also love knowing that I’m getting the chance to help them even outside of school work. I have the opportunity to possibly change a kids life for the better, and that’s one of the best parts for me.”

Lena beamed and stayed silent for a minute before responding. She felt her heart flutter with joy at Kara’s response. She wasn’t really sure what she was expecting, but it was nice to know there were still people like her in the world. It was especially good to know Lori was in such good hands while she was at work.

“I can see why Lori loves you so much,” she said with a smile.

Kara blushed and looked down at her lap. “I know I’m not supposed to have favorites, but it’s so great having her in class.”

“I’ll tell her you said that,” Lena replied.

“So what about you? Where did you grow up, do you have any pets, and why did you become a CEO?” Kara asked.

Lena drew in a breath. “Well,” she began with an exhale. “I was born in Ireland and I lived there up until I was four. Then I moved to the US and I grew up in Metropolis. I was supposed to move to National City when I took over as CEO, but I became Lori’s guardian almost four months ago, so we stayed in a little suburban area just outside of Metropolis for a little while longer for her sake. We moved here a little over three weeks ago.”

Kara nodded as she took it all in. “Did you have an accent when you lived in Ireland?”

Lena blushed and nodded. “Admittedly, I did,” she said with a chuckle. “But when I came here, my parents got me a speech therapist so that I would speak normally,” she explained, putting air quotes around the word _normally_.

“So, any pets?” Kara asked.

Lena shook her head. “I don’t have any now, but Lori’s young so I’m sure she’s gonna start asking for a dog at some point. But I did find a lizard in my back yard once when I was like eight. I kept it in a shoebox in my room for a little while. But it died after a week or so.”

Kara laughed, which made Lena laugh too. After a few seconds, she regained her composure and brushed a strand of hair out of her face.

Lena looked up at Kara and smiled slightly. She took a few seconds to think before speaking.

“I-- I was wondering, would you want to come over for dinner with Lori and I sometime? As a thank you for everything you’ve done for her,” she suggested.

“Oh-- well, I would love to but I-- I don’t want to intrude or anything,” Kara stammered. She was genuinely surprised by Lena’s statement. Sure, she cared about Lori, but she hadn’t done anything special for her. She knew if she were in Lori’s situation, she would need someone extra to look out for her, so she was that someone extra. It didn’t seem like such a big thing to her, but apparently, Lena didn’t agree.

Lena smiled and shook her head. “You won’t be intruding. We owe it to you, as a way to say thank you,” she said kindly.

“Thank you,” Kara said and returned a smile. “I would love to.”

When Kara got back to her apartment after coffee with Lena, she immediately called her sister, Alex. She couldn’t wait to tell her about Lena. Not only was she becoming her friend, but she was also possibly one of the most grateful and kindest parents she’d ever met in her time as a teacher. She had to tell someone about the wonderful person she was getting closer to, and Alex seemed like the right person to tell.

“So remember how I was telling about that girl in my class who’s kind of a genius?” Kara began.

“Yeah?”

“Okay, so I’m kind of friends with her aunt-- I don’t think I told you, she lives with her aunt and not her parents. But anyway-- her aunt, Lena took me to get coffee today and she’s so great. She invited me to have dinner with her and Lori as a thank you and just-- I don’t even know how to say it but she’s like the nicest and coolest person ever. And she’s also a CEO which means she's like super busy all the time, but she wants to have dinner with _me_! Isn’t that amazing?” Kara rambled.

She heard Alex laugh on the other line. “So how long have you been dating?” She asked.

“What?” Kara exclaimed. “We are _not_ dating.”

“Okay, so you have a huge crush on her?” Alex prompted.

Kara furrowed her brow. Lena was just a friend. A friend who she admired and thought was very talented and pretty, but a friend nonetheless.

“No, of course not. She’s my friend,” Kara explained as she began to pace back and forth throughout her living room.

Alex laughed again and Kara could practically see her sister rolling her eyes and shaking her head.

“Yeah, sure, _friends_ ,” Alex said sarcastically.

“Yes, _friends_ Alex,” Kara stated.

Alex sighed. “You just went on a rant about how amazing she is, you like her.”

“Friends do that all the time,” Kara argued. “You rant about how amazing Maggie is.”

“Maggie and I have been dating for six months, Kara,” Alex stated and forced back another laugh.

Kara groaned. “You know what I mean.”

“I know you’re totally in love with this girl,” Alex contradicted.

“I’m not in love with her!” Kara exclaimed and threw her hands up in the air.

“You clearly think she’s some sort of God, you like her kid, you’re ready to get married, buy a minivan and start a family,” Alex said, only half joking.

Kara sighed and shook her head in defeat. “That’s not true.”

Alex tilted her head from side to side as she thought for a minute. “Well, maybe not the minivan part. If she’s a CEO she probably wants something more classy. Maybe one of those big Teslas that you can fit a few kids in. Oh-- and you’ll probably buy a new house, you know one where your three kids and two dogs will have space to run around in and--”

“Alex, stop it,” Kara cut her off. She was sick of Alex’s teasing. She didn’t like Lena, she didn’t want to buy a big house with Lena and Lori. Not when they hadn’t even been on their first date.

 _No._ Kara internally scolded herself. She couldn’t think like this. She didn’t like Lena. Lena was just her friend. And even if she did like her, Lena had a kid who she needed to focus on. She probably wouldn’t want to date Kara anyways. She probably wasn’t even gay.

Alex sighed. “Okay, but all jokes aside, I think you might seriously be into this girl.”

Kara sat down on her couch and let out a breath she hadn’t even realized she’d been holding in.

“I don’t like Lena,” she said quietly.

She drew in a breath and put her head in her hands out of defeat. Maybe Alex was right. Maybe she did like Lena just a little tiny itty-bitty bit. But it was just a minuscule sized crush. It would blow over eventually. Before she knew it, Lena would just be her friend again.

Because she knew, friends were all they would ever be.  

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In all of my fics so far, Alex has been the captain of the SuperCorp ship since Lena and Kara are both oblivious, and I don't think that's going to change any time soon.  
> Comments and feedback are greatly appreciated :)


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lena overanalyzes her interactions with Kara before meeting with her new CFO. Kara calls Alex for advice again.  
> Trigger Warning: Mentions of anxiety

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I kind of revised the beginning of this, but the rest of it is a mess so I'm really sorry. I really wanted this chapter to be good. but I honestly kind of hate it. I had a plan for this part, but it didn't really turn out as planned and I'm sorry about that. So yeah, I hope you guys don't hate it too.

Lena inhaled sharply as she slowly sat down behind her desk. It felt like time had sped up and she’d spent the day running in eight-inch heels, desperately trying to keep up. She was beginning to regret canceling all of her meetings so she could let Lori skip school because now she had to make up three meetings in addition to her two meetings that were already supposed to happen today. She needed everything to slow down, so she could have a minute to think. However, her brain was still going too fast for her to process the things she really needed to be thinking about.

She closed her eyes tightly as she felt her head begin to throb. Had she forgotten to take her anxiety medication this morning? What about her antidepressants, had she forgotten those? She was starting to think she did. She was anxious enough with her meds, she wasn’t sure how she was supposed to make it through the rest of the day without them. Sure, they didn’t completely get rid of her anxiety, but they made it manageable. But now it was starting to feel like all of her thoughts were going to implode on her.

The thoughts that raced back and forth through her head weren't even rational-- she knew this. But the way they taunted and teased her, pulling at every weak spot they could find, they made her believe something was wrong. Something was wrong and it was her fault. Lena couldn't even be sure of what it was that was wrong. But something was wrong and it was her fault.

She just couldn’t take her mind off her coffee date with Kara, and now she was starting to over analyze every single thing they’d said to each other. Had she come off as creepy or stalkery? Had she appeared to be a lonely socially depraved hermit like she was described as in the tabloids? Did Kara hate her already?

She knew it wasn’t as serious as she was making it. All she’d done was invite Kara to dinner. And Kara had accepted, which was a good thing. However, even though Lena subconsciously knew she’d done nothing wrong, she couldn’t help but tell herself otherwise.

She was just starting to become friends with Kara. They’d only officially hung out together once, and Lena wasn’t even sure if that made Kara her friend. Kara was Lori’s teacher, which meant maybe she was only being so nice to her out of feelings of obligation. Maybe she had taken pity on her. Lena had no one in National City with the exception of Lori and Jess. But Lori was ten, and Jess was her assistant which meant she was literally paid to like her, so that didn’t leave her with any real friends. Maybe Kara had picked up on that, and she was only accepting Lena’s offers because she felt bad. Lena couldn’t be sure what was true and what wasn’t. She groaned and her head in her hands.

If only she could blame all of this confusion on how she’d forgotten to take her meds.

Lena drew in a breath and closed her eyes as she tried to even out her breathing. She just needed to think rationally. The rational part of her brain had to still be working at least a little bit, right?

She needed to calm herself down so she could get some work done. L Corps renaming ceremony was only a few days away. She had to get it together so she could work out any last minute kinks that might be interfering with the project. But all she could think about was how she was going to end up ruining the few good things in her life.

Lena was torn out of her thoughts when the door to her office opened and Jess stepped inside. Lena quickly picked her head up and grimaced at how the fast motion made the throbbing sensation in her head intensify.

“Miss. Luthor, the new CFO is here,” she said.

Lena sighed and nodded. “Send her in,” she said weakly, exhaustion laced her voice.

Jess walked out of the room and a tall brunette woman stepped inside. Lena stood up when she saw her face, unsure if she should smile or let her jaw drop to the floor in shock.

“Sam?” She said with a slight grin.

She felt her heart pick up its pace. She was already so stressed, and seeing an old friend from high school had the potential to make this day a million times worse, or a little bit better. However, with Lena’s track record, she was probably leaning towards the first option.

Sam nodded enthusiastically with a smile and walked over to her. She pulled Lena into a quick hug before taking a step back and looking at her old friend up and down.

“You’re my new CFO?” Lena asked, the shock in her voice evident.

Sam nodded once more. “Yeah, and you’re a CEO now which is insane,” she said with a light laugh.

Lena blushed and nodded. “I don’t think I’ve seen you since…”

“Sophmore year oh high school.” Sam finished. “Yeah, a lot has changed since then.”

Lena sighed. “Yeah, it really has,” she said softly. “So what have you been up to-- besides of course joining L Corp?”

Sam took a deep breath. “Well, I had a daughter named Ruby,” she began, and Lena raised an eyebrow before smiling brightly.

“Oh, congratulations.”

Sam looked down at the ground and brushed a strand of hair out of her face. She sighed before looking back up at Lena. “Yeah, she’s actually almost thirteen now,” she said nervously, though Lena wasn’t sure why she seemed so apprehensive.

“She’s all grown up,” Lena said with a smile.

Sam nodded. “She really is. I don’t know what I would do without her, she keeps me in line. Hell, she keeps the whole house in line,” she admitted and laughed.

Lena nodded understandingly. Sometimes when she slept in through her alarm, Lori was the one to wake her up and remind her she had school and Lena had work.

“So, I’m assuming you got married?” Lena asked with a grin.

Sam shook her head and gave a nervous chuckle. “No, I-- I’m actually single,” she admitted. “What about you? What are you up to now that you’re a huge CEO?”

Lena clasped her hands together as she thought about Lori. She wasn’t quite sure how to explain the whole situation, which meant her brain began to run in circles again. There was nothing too over complicate, she could’ve told Sam she was simply the legal guardian of her niece now. Or she could’ve talked about something else. But there were so many things to think about. Sure, it was just two choices, but if she didn’t talk about Lori, what would she talk about? And if she did talk about  Lori, how would she explain their situation?

She let out a shaky breath as she tried to collect her thoughts.

 _Get it together Lena, it’s a simple question_ , she told herself.

“I-- well I uh-- I kind of adopted my niece. So she’s been living with me for the past few months,” Lena began.

Her voice was shaky, and Sam could easily detect her anxiousness as she spoke. Lena began to snap the hair tie around her wrist against her skin in hopes it would help calm her down, but it didn’t help as much as she would’ve liked.

“So you’re working full time and you’re taking care of her?” Sam asked.

Lena nodded. “Yeah, she started going to school which is nice because I get to go into the office almost every day now,” she explained. “But I-- I’m trying to make it work. It’s definitely a lot, but taking her in was what was best for her.”

Sam nodded understandingly. “I get that. It’s really scary at first-- I mean, another person's life is literally in the palm of your hand. But I can’t picture my life without Ruby, and I’m sure you’ll feel the same way about your niece soon if you don’t already.”

Lena smiled and sighed. Sam was right. If she thought about it, she really couldn’t picture life in National City without Lori.

“Hey-- speaking of Ruby, Lori’s been having some trouble making friends at school. Do you think they could meet? I know Ruby’s older, but I think she would really like hanging out with someone other than me,” she suggested.

“Of course,” Sam agreed with a grin, “I’ll tell her about Lori when I get home.”

While Lena and Sam turned their focus to the business aspect of things, Kara sat in her classroom grading papers. All of her students (including Lori for once) were out at recess, which meant she finally had some peace and quiet.

She tried to focus on the homework assignments in front of her, but all she could think about was what Alex had said. She knew her feelings for Lena were just a silly crush, but she couldn’t shake the thought that she was going to ruin the friendship that was only now starting to bloom. She needed to figure this out, so she did what seemed rational. She called Alex again, and this time hoped her brutal honesty would somehow be helpful.

“So did you ask her out yet?” Alex said as soon as she picked up the phone.

Kara groaned and put her head in her free hand. “Don’t make me regret calling you,” she grumbled.

“Okay, alright, I’m sorry. What do you need?” She asked.

Kara sighed. “How do I make it go away?”

“Make what go away?”

“My-- you know-- feelings,” she said, whispering the word _feelings_ as if she were scared someone would overhear.

Kara heard Alex laugh and she rolled her eyes. She was already beginning to regret calling her.

“Alex, _please_ ,” she practically begged.

Alex sighed and took a second to recompose herself. “Okay,” she began. “I’m sorry, but you can’t make your feelings go away. Trust me, I tried with Maggie. They either go away with time, or they stay with you. You can’t force them to leave.”

Kara exhaled and closed her eyes. “Why not?” She whined.

“Would it be such a terrible thing if they didn’t leave?” Alex asked.

“Yes!” Kara exclaimed. “That is literally the only reason I called you!”

“I love talking to you too Kara,” Alex said sarcastically.

Kara rolled her eyes. “You know what I meant.”

“I know, I just love teasing you,” she said with a chuckle. “But I’m being serious, it might not be the worst thing in the world if you accepted your feelings. I spent so long trying to push down my feelings for Maggie but it never worked so I ended up hating myself for weeks. But once I realized that what I was going through was natural-- I felt so much better. And when I told her I liked her, she told me she felt the same way and we’ve been together ever since. Whose to say Lena isn’t going through the same thing and is trying to push down her feelings too?”

Kara sighed and leaned back in her chair. “Just because things worked out with you and Maggie doesn’t mean they’ll work out with me and Lena.”

“You don’t know that things won’t work out,” Maggie contradicted.

Kara let out a breath and rubbed her temple. “I guess you’re right,” she said. When she looked up, she saw a small figure standing in her doorway. “I gotta go, I’ll call you later.”

“Alright, I love you.”

“I love you too Alex,” Kara said before hanging up and putting her phone down on her desk.

She smiled at the girl who was standing at the other end of the classroom and gestured for her to come inside.

“Hey, Lori,” she said and plastered on a smile. “What’s up?”

Lori shrugged silently.

“I thought you were gonna go to lunch with everyone else today,” Kara said but phrased it as a question.

Lori shrugged once more and let out a sigh. “I tried, but I didn’t like it.”

“Why not?” Kara asked.

Lori took a seat at her desk and looked down at her hands. “Everyone’s so--” she scrunched up her brows just like Lena did when she was thinking as she searched for the right word. “I don’t know,” she said, seemingly defeated. “They just don’t like me.”

Kara made her way over to Lori’s table and knelt down beside her so she was the same height as the little girl.

“Hey, I’m sure that’s not true,” she said softly.

Lori frowned and refused to make eye contact with Kara. “Whenever I try to talk to them they ignore me or run away.”

“Who did that? Do you want me to talk to them after class for you?” Kara offered.

Lori shook her head sadly. “No, that’ll only make it worse.”

“Are you sure?” Kara asked, and Lori nodded.

“Well, I’m really sorry about that, and if you want me to talk to them or tell their parents, I will. But for now, you’re welcome to stay here,” Kara said with a reassuring smile.

Lori looked up at her teacher and gave a small smile in return. “Thank you, Miss. Danvers.”

“Now, I think class is about to start so can you get out your trig workbook?”

Lori nodded and began to dig through her backpack.

For a minute, Kara let her mind begin to wander. Raising a family with Lena as Alex had suggested didn’t seem so terrible, especially because Lori was such a great kid.

But as soon as she let the thought cross her mind, she internally scolded herself.

_Stop it, Kara. Nothing is going to happen. Nothing is ever going to happen._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, I'm very sorry about the mess that is this chapter. I'm kind of sick right now and my writing is not my best when I'm sick. So if you guys didn't like this, I'm really sorry.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lori makes her first friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would like to apologize in advance because this chapter sucks. It's supposed to be filler before the next chapter, but it's really poorly written so I'm sorry about.

Lori sat at the kitchen island with her trigonometry textbook in front of her. Lena sat beside her and watched as she quickly went through the five problems they were going to do before Ruby came over. Lori was still doing the questions Kara assigned her in class, but Lena tutored her for an hour or so every Saturday. However, they normally ended up spending almost the entire day huddled over Lori’s various workbooks going over everything Lori wanted to know. Sometimes, Lori would read from one of Lena’s astronomy books, as Lori was very fascinated with the planets and the solar system.

However, they had to stick to a quick hour today as Sam and Ruby would be coming over shortly. Lena hadn’t met Ruby yet, but she knew if she was anything like Sam, Lori would love her. But while Lena was filled with excitement for Lori and Ruby to meet, Lori didn’t share the same enthusiasm.

“Can we do one more?” Lori asked hopefully.

“Did you clean your room?” Lena asked and closed the workbook.

“No,” Lori mumbled.

Lena sighed. “Lori, I’ve been asking you for three days now,” she said, hints of irritation laced her voice. “We’re having guests over for lunch, I want everything to be nice.”

“But we aren’t eating in my room,” Lori contradicted.

Lena folded her arms over her chest and stood up. “Lorelai Rose Luthor, go clean your room,” she said sternly and pointed in the direction of Lori’s bedroom.

Lori threw her head back and groaned before walking over to her room. Lena gave a small not and smiled slightly. She’d always wanted to full name Lori, it seemed like something parents were supposed to do when their child acted out. It made her feel like a real mom, and not just Lori’s aunt.

After about thirty minutes and _lots_ of complaining on Lori’s end, there was a knock on the door. Lena opened it and saw Sam standing next to a child who stood just a little higher than her shoulder. She had long brown hair just like Sam’s, and the tips were dyed blue.

“Sam, it’s great to see you again,” Lena said and quickly hugged her old friend.

Sam nodded with a smile. “We have a _lot_ of catching up to do,” she said and chuckled. “And this is my daughter, Ruby,” she said proudly.

Ruby smiled at Lena and glanced around her penthouse. “Your apartment is huge,” she commented.

Lena blushed and Sam became visibly embarrassed. “Ruby, you don’t say things like that,” she whispered.

“It’s alright,” Lena brushed it off. “Why don’t you come inside, I’ll go get Lori.”

Sam and Ruby made their way into the living room while Lena walked over to Lori’s room. Lori followed her into the living room, and when she saw Ruby, she hid behind Lena’s back. Lena looked down at her niece, who was suddenly overcome with nerves.

She made a confused face, to which Lori folded her arms protectively over her chest. “She’s not gonna like me,” she whispered.

Lena sighed and knelt down beside Lori. “I’m sure she’ll love you,” she said softly and habitually ran her hands through Lori’s hair.

Lori stayed silent and frowned. She wasn’t convinced. She thought about how her classmates ignored her when she talked to them in class, or how they ran away from her on the playground when she tried to join in on their games during recess. Whose to say Ruby would be any different?

“I promise, she’s going to like you,” Lena insisted but kept her voice low so that neither Sam nor Ruby would overhear. “And if she doesn’t, you never have to see her again.”

Lori rocked back and forth as she contemplated talking to Ruby or not. She looked older by at least a few years, which either meant she was too mature to bully her, or old enough to know just the right way to hurt her.

“It’ll just be for a little while,” Lena encouraged.

Lori sighed. “Alright, I’ll talk to her,” she mumbled.

She walked over to Ruby, who was sitting on the couch while Sam and Lena made their way into the kitchen so they could speak privately.

Ruby looked up when she noticed Lori’s presence and smiled. “Hey,” she said with a grin. “I’m Ruby.”

Lori gave a nervous smile in return and sat down next to her, but kept a respectable distance between them. “I’m Lori,” she said quietly.

“I like your shoes,” Ruby commented.

Lori awkwardly looked down at her red converse, which were covered in dirt from playing at the playground. She thanked Ruby and looked back up at her.

“How old are you?” She asked.

“I’m twelve, but I’ll be thirteen next week,” Ruby replied she stayed silent for a moment before her face brightened up. “Maybe you could come to my party on Friday, I could ask my mom and I’m sure she’ll say yes,” she suggested enthusiastically.

Lori’s eyes widened in shock. Ruby wasn’t awful, she seemed to actually like her, just like Lena had said she would. “Really?” She breathed, her voice full of surprise.

Ruby nodded. “Yeah!”

“So, what school do you go to?” She asked.

“National City Public Elementary,” Lori replied.

“I went there too, what teacher do you have?”

“Miss. Danvers.”

Ruby grinned in excitement. “Oh my God, I had her too, do you like her?”

Lori nodded with a smile. “Yeah, I go to her room for lunch.”

“She’s the best,” Ruby said with a smile. “For Halloween, she came dressed as a superhero and wore her costume all day. And she gave out candy and let us make trick-or-treating bags instead of silent reading.”

Lori furrowed her brows in confusion and tilted her head to the side. “What’s trick-or-treating?” She asked.

Ruby looked at her as if she were joking but soon realized Lori was being completely serious.

As Ruby continued to talk to Lori, Lena confided in Sam about her struggles with Lori. Though she hadn’t seen Sam in almost fifteen years, Sam had been her best friend in high school. She knew even though they’d pretty much turned into different people, she could still trust her as much as she did when she was sixteen.

Besides, she had no friends in National City besides Kara. She needed someone to talk to. Especially if that someone was raising a child on their own, just like she was.

“Sometimes I don’t know what to do with her,” Lena admitted as she poured herself a glass of wine. She handed the bottle to Sam, who graciously accepted. “I mean-- I know to an extent, I want her to be a kid, I want her to be happy”

“It sounds like you know what you want then,” Sam said softly. “I know it’s really scary at first, but you’re going to learn that ninety percent of the job is just showing up. As long as you’re there for her, she’ll be happy.”

Lena sighed and nodded. “I know, I just--” she took a large sip of wine as she thought about how to phrase her dilemma.

“When I was her age, I was competing in weekly chess tournaments and getting screamed at by my mother if I put my elbows on the dinner table. You had a real childhood and a real mother, you have someone to model yourself after,” Lena explained.

Sam opened her mouth to speak, but Lena cut her off before she could even begin.

“And she’s so smart,” she said, her voice now full of admiration and pride. “I know every parent says that, but she’s _so_ smart. I thought that putting her in a normal elementary school for normal kids would be what's best for her. But she hates it there,” she said with a sigh.

“She likes her teacher, but she doesn’t talk to the other kids. And I-- I just feel so bad, her teacher goes out of her way to accommodate her by giving her harder work so she isn’t bored in class. But I-- I don’t know, I’m starting to wonder if it’s all worth it. She’d probably get along much better with students at a gifted school, but there's always the chance that she won’t be able to make any friends there either,” Lena vented.

When she was done, she took a deep breath and a gulp of her wine. Sam waited for her to regain focus before speaking again.

“First of all, I don’t think you’re doing anything wrong,” she reassured Lena. “You want what's best for her, and that’s what matters most.”

Lena bit her lip and nodded. “I guess,” she mumbled.

“And look at her and Ruby, _clearly_ she’s capable of making friends,” Sam said with a chuckle and pointed in the direction of the living room.

Ruby and Lori were sitting on the couch chatting happily as Ruby french braided Lori’s hair.

Lena smiled as she felt joy take over her body. Lori was finally hanging out with another kid. She was having fun and socializing, just like Lena had been encouraging her to do ever since she started school. But most importantly, she was happy. And to Lena, that was all that mattered.

She let out a sigh of relief before turning back to Sam. “Maybe you're right,” she said with a soft smile.

Sam nodded. “You just gotta stop putting so much pressure on yourself. Lori seems like a great kid, and I can tell she really loves you. Just relax, and it’ll all work out in the end.”

Lena exhaled a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding in and gave a small smile. Normally she wouldn’t listen to this kind of advice, but Lori was happy. Maybe Sam did have a point, maybe everything would be okay.

She opened her mouth to speak, but a loud knock on the door interrupted her thought.

“Are you expecting anyone?” Sam asked when she saw Lena’s confused expression.

Lena shook her head. “No, I only invited you and Ruby,” she said before slowly walking to the front of the apartment.

She inhaled sharply when she opened the door and saw the person standing in front of her.

“What the hell are you doing here?” She exclaimed.

“I’m here for Lori.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay I promise the next chapter will be better, this is really bad so I'm really sorry about that. I didn't go to school today because I'm sick and my writing is trash when I'm sick but this was especially bad. So I'm very sorry about that. The next one will hopefully be better.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The woman who shall not be named tells Lena she plans on taking Lori away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so I wrote this in literally less than an hour so it might be awful, but I was really excited about posting it. So if it's a mess, I'm really sorry.

“What do you mean you’re here for Lori?” 

Lori’s head perked up at the sound of her name being called and she looked up at the scene unfolding in the doorway. A woman stood in front of Lena and glared at her with daggers in her eyes. The stare sent shivers down her spine and told her to run. But she couldn’t find it within herself to move. 

It reminded her of the way her mom had looked at her when she’d had too much to drink. It was a look that told her she was in trouble, even if she’d done nothing wrong. Lori swallowed the lump in her throat and told herself to look away, but she couldn’t stop staring.  

The woman, who stood at least a head taller than Lena, walked into the living room as if she owned the apartment. She looked down at Lori and smiled. However, her expression was cold and empty, it was devoid of the kindness that radiated off of Lena when she smiled. Her eyes widened in fear as the woman knelt down beside her. 

Lena quickly walked over and stepped in front of her. She wouldn’t let her get any closer to her child. 

“Lori, go to your room,” she said firmly. 

“But I--”

“Go to your room,” Lena repeated. She clenched her jaw and Lori knew not to argue. 

She did as she was told without any questions or hesitation and ran away from Lena and the strange woman. 

Sam gestured for Ruby to come to her as she thanked Lena for inviting her, but told her she would have to be going. They left in a hurry, leaving Lena standing alone with the woman she’d hoped she’d never have to see again. 

“I don’t want you near her,” Lena said firmly.

Lori was too good and too young to good to feel the type of fear Lena felt when she looked into her eyes. She didn’t deserve to feel the pain Lena had grown up with, nobody did. 

“You can’t just come here unannounced and expect to take her away from me,” Lena said angrily. 

Lillian pursed her lips and clasped her hands together. “I’m your mother, of course I can,” she said with a false sense of kindness. 

“She is a child, she’s not an object and she’s not a toy. I am her legal guardian, it’s my job to look out for her. And I’m sure as hell not going to let you just waltz in here and claim her like she’s your property,” Lena shot back. She balled her hands into fists and dug her nails into the palm of her skin. 

She had just been starting to feel like she was in control for once, but of course, Lillian had to come and rip away any sort of comfort she’d allowed herself feel. 

“You may be her guardian, but I’m her grandmother. You are  _ nothing _ to her,” Lillian spit out, her voice laced with venom. 

Lena inhaled sharply and held her breath as she felt tears begin to burn in her eyes. They blurred her vision and she could feel her cheeks turning red with heat, but she wouldn’t allow herself to cry. Lillian had brought her to tears so many times as a child. She wasn’t going to give her mother the satisfaction of doing it again. 

“That’s not true,” Lena said stiffly, though it was more to herself than anyone else. 

Lillian took a step towards Lena, who froze in fear. “Oh?” She said softly and tilted her head. “Say what you want, but she should be with her real family.”

Lena let out a shaky breath. She choked back a sob before opening her mouth to speak again. “I’m her family. I love her and I-- I take care of her. I’ve done more for her in these past four months than you  _ ever _ did for me.”

Lillian hummed in response. “I suppose that could be true. Only you’ve been depriving her of the resources she needs to take on the Luthor name with pride.” 

She shook her head and sighed. “You should be ashamed of yourself,” she narrowed her eyes and Lena took a step back. “She is is one of us for God's sake, she should be off learning to nourish her intelligence instead of rotting away at some public school where she’s surrounded by children that don’t know their right from left.”

Lena let out a shaky breath and dug her nails further into her skin until she felt her fingertips become wet with blood. 

“She’s in a public school because she is a child and needs to be treated as such. If it were up to you, she’d be in some sort of a lab being used as a guinea pig for some scientists amusement.” 

“Well at least she would reach her full potential,” Lillian said angrily. “I mean what is this?” She gestured to the rest of the apartment. 

Over time, it had become more and more clear that a child was living there. A pink fuzzy blanket covered the white couch, and various drawings Lori had done in crayon were hung up on the fridge. Lori’s blue jacket was draped over one of the living room chairs, and her Supergirl backpack sat beside it. Lena’s once cold and uninviting apartment had been taken over by the warmth (and mess) of a child, and she didn’t regret it one bit.  

“What would Lex say about all this?” Lillian said and shook her head out of disappointment. 

“Lex doesn't get a say. He abandoned Lori and now he’s rotting away in prison for murdering twelve people,” Lena growled. “He was a terrible person, and I’d rather die than let Lori turn out like him.”  

Before she knew it, Lena’s face burned with the feeling of her mother's touch. She gasped as she brought her hand up to the red mark Lillian had left and choked back a sob. She hadn’t been slapped in so long, she’d almost forgotten what it felt like. 

Lillian calmly folded her hands together as if she hadn’t just struck her daughter and sighed. 

“Get it together, Lena,” she said sharply. 

Lena took her hand off of her face and slowly folded her arms over her chest protectively. She tried to inhale, but her lungs rejected the stale air around her. 

“Get out of my house,” her voice was low yet filled with power. “Get out of my house before I call the police.” 

Lillian sighed and smiled stiffly. “Alright then,” she said, her chin pointed upwards as she stood with all the unearned confidence in the world. “But I’ll be back, and I’ll be taking Lori with me.” 

As she walked away, her heels clicked against the wood floors. The sound made Lena’s eardrums pound. 

Once Lillian was gone, Lena stumbled over to the couch and collapsed on top of it. She hugged herself tightly as her body became wracked with sobs. She knew Lori could probably hear her, and no matter how badly she wanted to, she couldn’t stop crying. 

No matter how hard she tried to gasp for air, she couldn’t catch the breath that was just barely out of reach. Lena strained her neck as she inhaled with as much force as she could. Her lungs filled with air, and she let out something between a cough and a cry for help. 

She closed her eyes as her body was taken over by another sob. When she opened them once more, she saw Lori standing at the other end of the room. She had tears streaming down her face and her eyes were filled with fear. 

Lena quickly sat up and wiped her eyes on her sleeve. She tried to get herself to stop crying, but the effort was almost pointless. 

“Lori, are you alright?” She asked and let out a shaky breath. 

Lori nodded and walked over to Lena. She sat down on Lena’s lap, and Lena pulled her close to her chest. 

“You were-- you were crying and I-- I was so scared,” Lori cried. 

“You don’t need to be scared love,” Lena said softly as she began to rub soothing circles on Lori’s back. “She’s gone now, you don’t need to worry.” 

“No, that’s not why,” Lori said quietly. 

“Then what’s wrong?”

Lori looked up at Lena and her eyes filled with tears once more. “You were crying and I-- I wanted to help b- but I didn’t know how,” she explained. 

Lena felt her heartbreak inside her chest as she had to force back the new tears that were threatening to fall. 

“Oh,” she managed to say. “Lori, I--” she gave a teary smile. She wasn’t sure how to react. Nobody had ever cared for her the way Lori did.

“Thank you,” she said softly. “But you don’t need to worry about me, alright?” 

Lori wiped her eyes, but she seemed confused. “But you take care of me when I’m sad, why can’t I take care of you?” 

Lena bit her lip and smiled a real smile. The little girl she held in her arms was so full of love and goodness. She had a heart bigger than she was, and a mind like Lena had never seen before. She knew she couldn’t let Lillian take her away and corrupt her. 

“You’re doing enough just by being here,” Lena said and kissed Lori on the head. 

She wasn’t sure how she would do it, but she was never going to let Lillian anywhere near her niece ever again. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Kara wasn't in this and I'm sorry about that, but she'll be back in the next chapter.   
> Comments and feedback is greatly appreciated :)


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lena needs someone to talk to, so she calls Kara.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is completely unrevised so it's probably a mess and I'm sorry about that.  
> Also, I just wanted to say thank you so much for all the love on this fic! I know I'm not the best when it comes to replying to comments, but I see every single one and they mean the world to me. I'm so grateful for everyone that has read this fic, commented, or messaged me about it on Tumblr. I love you guys! Okay, I'm gonna stop rambling now.

Once Lori was asleep, Lena held her phone in a quivery hand and slowly dialed Jess’ number. Luckily, she picked up after two rings.

“Miss. Luthor, it’s almost eleven, are you alright?” Jess asked.

Lena closed her eyes tightly. _No, I’m not alright_ , she wanted to say. But she had to remain professional.

“I uh-- I need you to find me a-- a lawyer,” she said quietly. Her voice was shaky, and it sounded like she was on the verge of tears again. But she wouldn’t allow herself to cry, not until there was something to cry over.

“A lawyer?” Jess repeated.

Lena nodded and bit her lip anxiously. “Yes, and get me a meeting with Lori’s social worker.”

“Miss. Luthor, what’s going on?” Jess asked, her voice filled with concern.

Lena let out an uneven breath and anxiously ran her fingers through her hair. “I-- I’m really sorry for making you do all this, especially in the middle of the night. But I--” Lena’s voice broke and a stray tear made it’s way down her cheek. “I don’t know what I’m gonna do.”

Jess stayed silent, unsure of how to respond. Sure, she’d seen Lena when she was angry with her coworkers or stressed about all of her projects, but she’d never seen the Lena Luthor scared. If she was being honest, sometimes she forgot Lena had the capacity for such emotions, which is why she was so shocked when she heard Lena begin to cry.

“I’m sorry I-- I know I should be doing this myself I-- you’re just so good at this stuff and I-- there’s so much that I--” Lena stopped and hid her face in her free hand.

“It’s alright,” Jess said softly. “You don’t need to worry, I’ll find you a lawyer.”

“Thank you,” Lena cried quietly.

“And there-- there’s one other thing.”

“What is it?”

“I need you to cancel the renaming ceremony,” Lena instructed.

“What? Why?” Jess asked.

Lena had been working on the renaming ceremony since she became CEO. She’d spent hours on end creating a speech and getting the licenses needed to officially make Luthor Corp _L Corp_.

“Miss. Luthor, you know that’s tomorrow right?” Jess exclaimed.

Lena sighed and nodded. She sat down on her bed and pulled her knees up to her chest. “I know,” she said softly. “I just-- I can’t do it.”

“Okay, I’ll inform everyone involved,” Jess said, the disappointment in her voice was evident.

Lena closed her eyes after she hung up and let out a breath. She swallowed the lump in her throat before dialing another number. She pressed the phone and waited for someone to pick up. She knew she would probably regret making this call in the morning, but at the moment she didn’ t care. Maybe she could text back in the morning and lie, pass it off as a drunk dial, even though she was as sober as ever now. But she wasn’t worse if an overly emotional drunk call was worse then an overly emotional sober call.

Lena ran her fingers through her hair as she heard the other line ring.

One ring. Two rings. Three rings.

She was ready to give up and put her phone down but heard a crackling sound on the other line. She chest tightened and she sat up a little straighter when she realized they had answered the phone.

“Lena? What’s going on, it’s almost midnight?” Kara’s voice was laced with sleep, and Lena could imagine her rubbing the tiredness out of her eyes.

“I-- I just wanted to thank you,” Lena said quietly. She suddenly felt incredibly vulnerable and exposed, even though she knew Kara couldn’t see her in her distressed state.

“I know I’ve said it before but ev- everything you’ve done for Lori i- it means so much to her-- to both of us.”

“Oh-- thank you,” Kara said, but said it as if she were asking a question. “Sorry, I’m really tired right now,” she said with a small chuckle.

Lena bit her lip when she realized what she’d done. Kara was just trying to get a good nights sleep and she’d called her because she was feeling sad. Her and Kara weren’t even that close, and if Kara was mad, she might’ve just ruined their entire friendship.

“I-- I’m sorry-- I shouldn't have called,” she said hastily. “You should go back to bed-- I’m so sorry.”

Lena was about to hang up when she heard Kara protest.

“Wait,” she said quickly. “Lena, are you okay?”

Lena sighed and shook her head even though she knew Kara couldn’t see her. If only Kara could somehow know without her having to say the words, everything would be so much easier.

“Yeah,” Lena breathed, though she knew Kara could probably tell she was lying. “I’m fine.”

“Are you sure?” Kara asked.

“I know I shouldn’t be calling you, you’re Lori’s teacher,” Lena mumbled.

“Yeah, but you’re my friend,” Kara said softly.

Lena leaned back against her headboard. She ignored Kara’s comment and closed her eyes once more. “I might be losing Lori though, so it might not matter anyway,” she said with a humorless chuckle.

“You might _what_?”

Lena balled her hand up into a fist and pressed her nails into the dents from earlier. She felt her face burn with anger at the thought of Lillian taking away another little girls childhood.

“My mom wants custody,” she admitted. “And rather send Lori through hell and back then let her live like a normal kid.”

Lena brought her hand up to her forehead and massaged her temples. “I don’t know,” she mumbled. “I’m just feeling shitty about that. But I-- I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have bothered you.”

“N- no,” Kara said quickly. “You aren’t bothering me.”

“Are you sure?” Lena asked nervously.

Kara nodded with a smile. “Of course not,” she said sincerely.

Lena felt tears begin to burn in her eyes again, though she wasn’t sure why she was getting so emotional all of a sudden. She let her mind drift momentarily and she thought about what would happen if Lillian did go to court for custody and somehow won.

“If she wins, I’ll be all alone,” Lena blurted out. Her voice was barely audible, but Kara picked up on it almost effortlessly.

As soon as the words left her mouth left her mouth, she regretted them. How could she be so selfish? If Lillian won the custody battle-- if there even _was_ a custody battle, Lori would be the one to feel the effects more than anyone. She needed to stop thinking about herself, and start thinking about Lori.

“You won’t be alone,” Kara said softly.

Lena shook her head. “She’s all I have,” she admitted, and her voice broke. She closed her eyes and hot tears burned her skin as they made their way down her face. She couldn’t bear to say it out loud, but she was all Lori had too. Without each other, they were nothing. They would be all alone, lost and confused, with no one to guide them.

“That’s not true,” Kara said firmly yet kindly. “You are amazing with Lori, nobody in their right mind would take her out of your care. And I know it might seem like she’s all you have, but you have me too. I’m your friend, and I’m not going anywhere.”

“Thank you,” Lena whispered. She wiped her eyes and drew in a breath. She’d already cried so much today, she couldn’t start again.

“And I don’t think you need to worry. You already have custody, even if she does petition the court, the odds are in your favor,” Kara reassured her.

“I guess you’re right,” Lena mumbled.

“It’s late, you should get some rest,’ Kara suggested.

Lena sighed. “Yeah, I don’t think that’s gonna happen,” she said with a humorless chuckle.

Kara closed her eyes and bit her lip. It was a long shot, but maybe it was worth a shot. “Do you want me to come over? If you’re gonna stay up you probably shouldn’t be alone,” she offered.

Lena’s heart rate picked up its pace at the offer. She would’ve loved to have Kara over. And not just because she was unusually vulnerable right now. She needed a friend, she needed someone to be there for her and she didn’t care who it was. But knowing Kara had offered made it all the more special.

“Oh, Kara, thank you but you have to teach tomorrow, I shouldn’t be keeping you up all night,” Lena said. She really did want to accept Kara’s offer, but she was beginning to feel things for Kara that couldn’t be explained. She couldn’t let herself get distracted from Lori by some silly little crush. She had to protect her child, and that was what mattered most.

“It’s fine, I can get an extra large coffee,” Kara said with a chuckle. “And if you need the day off from-- everything I guess tomorrow, I’d be willing to take Lori to school in the morning and if you need me to, I’ll take her home for you.”

“You don’t need to do all that,” Lena said softly, though she really wouldn’t have minded if Kara did.

“It’s no problem,” Kara responded.

“Are you sure?” Lena asked. Maybe indulging herself for a little while wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world. She could give herself a few hours of peace before morning came. Maybe she was being selfish, but she could yell at herself for that later.

Thirty minutes later, there was a knock on Lena’s front door. She hurried down the hall and opened it with possibly a little too much enthusiasm. When she saw Kara, she had to restrain herself not to throw herself into her arms and wait for her to take the weight of the world off of her shoulders. Kara, who was standing in her pajamas still looked so strong. All Lena wanted was a hug, she didn’t care from who, she just wanted someone to hold her and tell her it would be all right. But she knew she had to control herself, so instead, Lena stood and stared at Kara, her eyes begging Kara to do something.

Luckily, Kara quickly caught onto Lena’s nonverbal cues and pulled her into a tight hug. Lena let out a shaky sigh of relief as she rested her head on Kara’s shoulder, hiding her face in a mop of blonde hair.

Kara closed her eyes and rested her head atop of Lena’s. She smiled softly and allowed herself to take the moment in. She knew it was wrong because Lena was her friend, but she liked Lena. And not in the _I want her to be my new best friend_ kind of way. It was the kind where her heart began to race when Lena entered the room, or how she could get lost in the oceans of Lena’s green eyes. It was the kind of feeling, where every time Lena smiled, she couldn’t help but smile too. So when she saw Lena looking so broken and so helpless, she stopped listening to the voice inside her head that said she needed to stop overstepping. And she didn’t regret it at all.

“Thank you for coming,” Lena’s voice was weary and small.

“Of course,” Kara said softly.

“Come on, you need to get some sleep,” she said and backed out of the hug, but kept one arm wrapped around Lena’s waist as she guided her to the bedroom.

“I’m not tired,” Lena mumbled as she stifled a yawn and collapsed on top of her bed.

Kara chuckled and raised an eyebrow. “Yeah, you look like you could get up and run a marathon,” she said with a smirk.

She sat down beside Lena and resisted the urge to take Lena’s hand in her own. “Are you alright?”

Lena sighed. “I will be.”

Kara gave a small smile. “If you need anything, just let me know.”

Lena smiled sadly and nodded. “Can you stay?”

Kara nodded. Lena scootched over, making way for Kara, who lied down next to her. Lena mindlessly reached for Kara’s hand and held it to her chest. Before long, she had fallen fast asleep. Snuggled up next to Kara, she felt the safest she had felt in a long time.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really hope you liked this, I had a lot of fun writing the parts with Lena and Kara. I'll try to have chapter 12 up by today or tomorrow.  
> Comments and feedback is greatly appreciated :)


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lori opens up to Lena about what her life was like with her birth mom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry it took me so long to post this. I've been sick all week, and yesterday was the first day I haven't had a fever. I've also had dance rehearsal almost every day after school, so when I got home I was too tired and sick to write anything. This chapter isn't very good and I'm really disappointed in it because it could've been longer and I kinda wrote some stuff I hadn't planned on writing until later. So yeah, I'm really sorry I haven't written anything in a few days, and that this is a pretty bad come back.

Lena woke up to a throbbing headache and a nagging feeling in her gut that was telling her something was off. Her face felt stiff from the dried tears that still lingered on her cheeks. Her forehead was damp with cold sweats, the kind she got when she woke up from a nightmare. Except she hadn’t had a nightmare, or at least not one she could remember.

Lena slowly opened her eyes and was met with a mess of blonde hair. She frowned and tried to recollect the events of last night. She didn’t have blonde hair, which meant she was in bed with someone else. She lifted her head slightly and peered over at the alarm clock on her nightstand. It was only five, which meant she had an hour before was supposed to wake up. Except clearly, that wasn’t the case now, as she was in bed with another woman. She clamped her jaw shut when she realized she was _in bed_ with someone else, which very well could’ve meant she’d slept with someone with a child in the house.

She drew in a breath before slowly peering down at her body, which was entangled with someone else's. When she saw they were both fully clothed, she closed her eyes and breathed a sigh of relief. But the initial panic returned when she realized she was snuggled up against Kara. She had cuddled and fallen asleep with Lori’s teacher, and what was worse, was she didn’t regret it. She felt safe wrapped in Kara’s arms. She felt warm and protected. She knew she would have to get up and make Lori breakfast soon, but she never wanted to this moment to end. However, when she felt Kara stir beneath her, she rolled to the other end of the bed.

Kara rubbed her eyes and looked over at Lena. “Hey, sleepyhead,” she said with a tired smile. “How long have you been up?”

Lena breathed a tired sigh and smiled. “Not long.”

She sat up and stretched her arms above her head. Her shirt rose up, exposing her pale skin. When Kara realized she was staring, she averted her eyes and blushed.

“I need to make Lori breakfast before she wakes up,” she said with a yawn.

“It’s only five,” Kara said with a chuckle. “What time does she wake up?”

Lena clumsily stepped off of the bed, almost tripping over her own feet twice. She turned off her alarm, as she wouldn’t be needing it anymore and turned back to face Kara. “I know, but I should also probably get some work done before she gets up. I’m behind on a bunch of stuff,” she said with a groan.

It wasn’t entirely a lie. She did have to come up with a public explanation as to why she had canceled the renaming ceremony, organize a public appearance so she could clear the whole mess up, and do some research on custody battles.

If she was being honest, she knew nothing about them. She hadn’t had to fight for Lori. She hadn’t even known Lori existed until she’d gotten the call from her social worker telling her that either Lori would be placed with her, or in the foster system. After a month of fostering, Lena started to forget what her life looked like before she’d met her niece. She spent countless sleepless nights pondering the idea and wondering how she would bring her proposition up to Lori. When they finally did discuss it, Lori hated it at first. She had screamed and cried about how Lena wasn’t her real mom until she had no tears left. She locked herself in her room for days, refusing to speak to anyone until eventually, she came out one morning and calmly apologized. She told Lena she did want to get adopted, she was just scared. Lena was able to finalize the adoption within a matter of weeks, so she’d never even thought about a custody battle. Or at least, not until Lillian showed up.

“I’m just really busy,” she breathed with a nervous smile.

“Do you need help with anything?” Kara offered.

Lena shook her head before pulling her hair up into a messy bun. “It’s alright, I’m just going to get some work done then give Lori some cereal.”

“Oh, alright,” Kara said and stifled a yawn.

“You-- you should probably go. I don’t Lori seeing you here, it’ll totally freak her out if she sees you here,” Lena said as delicately as possible.

“Are you sure?” Kara asked, trying to hide the disappointment in her voice.

Lena nodded. Within less than a second, her face had turned from the soft, open, woman Kara had spent the night with and turned stiff. It was what Lena’s employees called her _CEO face_. It meant she was in charge and wasn’t playing around.

Kara quickly changed and left without any protest. She didn’t want to embarrass herself in front of Lena, mostly because she wasn’t sure if she had already embarrassed herself and just hadn’t picked up on it yet.

Once she was gone, Lena flopped down on her bed and laid on her back staring at the ceiling until it was time for her to wake Lori up. At around six, she reluctantly got out of bed then all but dragged her tired niece into the kitchen and made her bowl of cereal.

They sat at the island and ate in awkward silence until Lori eventually spoke up. When she did, luckily she didn’t mention Kara, which meant Lori was completely oblivious to the fact that she’d slept over last night.

Instead, she mentioned Lillian. Lena couldn’t decide if that was better or worse.

“Who was that woman?”

Lena drew in a breath. “She is… she’s your grandmother.”

“I have a grandma?” Lori asked. She looked to Lena for confirmation, but her aunt sighed and nodded.

“So… she’s like-- your mom?” Lori continued, her voice tainted with disgust.

Lena nodded again but stayed silent.

“She doesn’t seem like a very good mom,” the little girl remarked.

Lena laughed and something that sounded like a snort escaped her lips. “That’s an understatement.”

“I don’t like her,” Lori decided as she took a sip of her orange juice.

Lena smiled slightly and hummed in agreement. “I’m not saying I disagree, but why don’t you like her?”

Lori shrugged and stirred her cereal with her spoon. “She made you cry, she’s mean,” she explained.

Lena sighed. “Yeah,” she said softly. “But I’m going to do everything I can to make sure you never have to see her again.”

Lori smiled in response. She looked down at her bowl and scrunched up her brows just as she always did when she was thinking. It was a habit that made Lena laugh because she knew she did the exact same thing.

“Was she mean to you when you were a kid? Like-- like my age?” Lori asked nervously.

Lena bit down on the inside of her cheeks and hesitated before nodding. She hated talking about the abuse she’d suffered at the hands of the woman who was supposed to protect and love her more than anyone else in the world. But she knew Lori had probably gone through a very similar situation, and if she was honest with her, maybe Lori would start to open up in return.

“She was,” Lena admitted. “She was always kind of…” she paused and searched for the right word. “She was a bully, I guess.”

“My mom could be mean too,” Lori said quietly.”She could be a big bully.”

Lena sighed, unsure of what to say.

“She used to get really angry all the time, and I never knew why,” Lori explained.

Lena bit her lip and nodded. “Yeah, mine too,” she breathed. She blinked, and for a second an image of Lillian yelling at her while she was sobbing with tears streaming down her face, flashed in front of her.

“But sometimes, she-- she could be like-- she would be normal a- and fun and kind,” Lori continued. “It was so confusing because she would love me one minute, and then hate me another.”

Lena felt tears burn in her eyes at the prospect of anyone hating Lori.

“Is it bad that I-- I still love her?” Lori asked, her voice breaking. “Because sometimes s- she was nice a- and she would be like-- like a real mom. Sometimes e- everything w- would be good a- and normal.”

Lena shook her head and placed a hand on Lori’s knee. “Of course it’s not bad,” she said softly. “Your mother did a lot of things wrong, I won't deny that. You didn't deserve to be treated the way you were, not even for a second. But I understand why you wouldn't want to stop loving her."

Lori choked back a sob. "I just feel so guilty"

Lena nodded understandingly. "I know," she said with a sad smile. 

"I mean I-- she could be so nice but she..."

Lena sighed. "I know what you mean. I'll admit, sometimes I feel the same way about your dad."

Lori looked up questioningly as if awaiting an explanation.

"He did some really terrible things, including abandoning you. But when I was little and my mom parents would be mean to me, he was the only person that took care of me. So a- as much as I hate him for what he’s done, I think a part of me deep down might still care about him,” Lena confessed. "And I know nothing he's ever done can be excused, but he still finds a way to get to me."

Lori looked down at her lap as a lone tear made its way down her cheek. “She could be really scary,” her voice was barely audible despite the silence of the large penthouse, but Lena hung onto her every word. 

"She--  she could be so  _so_ mean to me and I-- she was my  _mom_ ," she sobbed. 

“Sometimes she would just-- she would get angry for no reason. And she would always smell _really_ bad because of the stuff she drank. When she drank, she was the worst. She would-- she would scream a- and,” Lori stopped and looked up at Lena, tears running freely down her face. “It was so bad,” she cried quietly.

Lena exhaled and pulled her into a hug. Lori wrapped her arms around Lena’s neck and her legs around Lena’s waist. She buried her face in Lena’s neck, as she rubbed soothing circles on the child's back.

Eventually, Lori stopped crying, but Lena didn’t put her down. She was too scared that if she let go, this girl who had faced so much pain in her short life and deserved to smile as much as much as she cried, would disappear.

Lena felt Lori adjust her head, so she could see Lena’s body, but her face was still hidden.

“You’re a much better mom then she was,” she said softly. “You’re the best mom in the whole world.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really sorry about how this chapter turned out, but I liked the ending and I hope you guys did too.  
> Comments and feedback is greatly appreciated :)


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lena feels bad about kicking Kara out and goes to apologize. But Kara isn't ready to forgive her yet.   
> Trigger Warning- panic attacks, mentions of self-harm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really sorry about this chapter. It's really poorly written and I could've written it a lot better. I had a lot of hope for this, but I kind of ruined it so I'm sorry. So if you guys don't like this chapter, I get it.

 

Lena’s heart skipped a beat as she heard the words leave Lori’s mouth. She never thought Lori would start to consider her her mom and to say she was surprised that the moment had finally come was the understatement of the year. Lena almost dropped the child in her arms out of shock, but quickly regained composure. However, she couldn’t help the smile that spread across her lips and took up half her face when she realized she hadn’t just imagined what had happened. 

“Lori… did you-- did you just call me your mom?” She breathed.

Lori blushed and smiled bashfully. She gave a small nod as the pink coloring on her cheeks got even brighter. “Is that okay?” She asked hopefully. 

“Yes, of course, that’s okay!” Lena exclaimed. “It-- that-- Lori, that’s wonderful!” 

Lori beamed and leaned back into Lena. A feeling of relief flooded over her as she thought about how she finally had the mom she had always wanted.

Once Lena’s arms started to get sore, she began to worry that should drop Lori, she put her down on the floor. She didn’t even bother to try to stop smiling like an idiot as she looked down at Lori. She let out a breathy laugh at nothing in particular as Lori just looked up at her. 

“Okay,” Lena said with a comically large grin. She wiped her sweaty palms on her pants in an effort to recompose herself. “Now, go get dressed and ready for school you little bumblebee,” she grinned and gestured to Lori’s yellow and black striped pajamas.

For once, Lori didn’t protest and she quickly ran back to her room to get changed. Once she was out of sight, Lena jumped up and down with excitement and pumped her fists in the air. She let out a small squeal and bounced on her toes happily. Lori had called her mom. She wasn’t just Lori’s aunt anymore, she was her  _ mom. _ She spun around happily as she let the feeling of pure joy take over her body, a feeling she hoped would never leave. 

Meanwhile, Lori stood in front of her mirror as she brushed her hair. Her stomach was filled with butterflies and her hands were trembling. She tried to tell herself it was out of happiness, but she knew that wasn’t her. The reflection staring back at her was pale and fearful, a girl Lori didn’t recognize. She brushed her fingers against the glass and sighed. The terror in her eyes was the same as when she lived with her birth mom. 

Lori let out a shaky breath and reminded herself that Lena wasn’t angry. Lena was happy that she’d called her mom, but she wasn’t so sure if Lena would stay happy. 

There were days where her birth mom loved her and days where she hated her. What if Lena started acting like that? The voice in her head that told her Lena didn’t want to be her mom overpowered the one that told her everything would be alright. 

Lori squeezed her brush so tightly her knuckles turned white. She wasn’t sure what to think of the whole situation. So she did the only thing that seemed reasonable. 

“Mom?” She called and held her breath. If Lena responded, it meant everything would be okay. 

“What is it, Lori?” A voice replied. 

Lori breathed a sigh of relief and smiled to herself. “Never mind,” she replied loudly. She put her brush down and took one more look at her reflection. 

She bit her lip and closed her eyes. She shouldn’t have thought that. Lena was being so good to her, and she was assuming the worst in her. Lena wasn’t the same as her birth mom. Lena was kind and warm, she was safe. She was home. 

When Lena dropped Lori off at school, she walked with her to Kara’s classroom before class started. She couldn’t wait to tell her about the wonderful thing that happened this morning, but she knew she would have to apologize for kicking her out first. 

Lori took a seat at her table and Lena stood in the doorway awkwardly. There were a few other students in the room, but she was the only parent there. Because of this, it didn’t take long for Kara to notice her presence and walk over to her. 

“Can I talk to you for a minute?” Lena asked nervously. 

Kara sighed, she didn’t seem happy with Lena being here, but she reluctantly agreed and walked her to the hall so no students would overhear them. 

“What do you want?” Kara asked, her voice was low and laced with annoyance. 

“I-- I just wanted to apologize. I shouldn’t have thrown you out-- I was just scared that Lori would see you and she-- God she would have so many questions,” Lena explained with a nervous chuckle. “She just-- she takes so long to get ready in the morning and I-- I needed her to get out the door fast so I could get to work. But I-- I shouldn’t have treated you like that-- and I’m sorry.” She clamped her mouth shut when she realized she was rambling.

Kara folded her arms over her chest and nodded. “You’re right, you shouldn’t have treated me like that,” she said firmly. 

Lena pulled at her fingertips anxiously. She’d expected Kara to be at least a little bit forgiving.

“I know, and I’m sorry,” Lena said sincerely. 

“Would it have really been so hard to just tell Lori we’re friends?” Kara asked softly. 

At her statement, Lena felt a pang of guilt stab her in the chest. 

“Are you ashamed of me or something?” Kara asked, her voice was filled with hurt. 

Lena shook her head. “No-- of course not,” she said quickly. “I just didn’t want her to get freaked out. I don’t want her to think that now that we’re friends you aren’t going to like her anymore.”

“Why would she think that?”

“Because,” Lena said sharply. “She isn’t like normal kids. She doesn’t have friends, she talks to grown-ups because she doesn’t have kids. She’s had so many people hurt her, it would be so easy for her to assume that we want to hurt her too.”

Kara sighed and looked back up at Lena, her eyes glassed over with tears. 

“Then I really hope that when she does make some real friends, she doesn’t follow in your example and hurt the people that are just trying to be there for her,” Kara said. Her words hit Lena like a bullet, they took away her ability to breath and sent a sharp pain down her spine. 

“Now if you’ll excuse me, first period is about to start.”

With that, Kara turned on her heel and stepped back inside the classroom. 

Lena stumbled backward and put her hand over her chest and tried to catch her breath. She felt tears burn in her eyes as she replayed the scene over and over again in her mind. She let out a shaky breath as she saw more students make their way to Kara’s room, and reminded herself she had to get to work. 

She wasn’t sure how she made it to her car, but before she knew it she was fumbling with the handle as she pulled the door open. She all but collapsed onto the driver's seat as she slammed the door shut. She gripped onto the steering wheel and tilted her head back as she tried to keep herself from crying. 

It was like the walls were closing in on her, which was making it harder to breathe with every passing second. She could feel her lungs straining themselves as they tried to reach for air but failed. As her breathing eventually turned into hyperventilation, she felt the need to do something with her hands.

Her knuckles were turning white due to her grip on the steering wheel. When she realized this, she loosened her grasp, but her hands began to shake. She quickly wrapped her arms around her chest and hugged herself tightly. With all the willpower she had in her, she resisted the urge to pinch the skin on her arms. 

However, without physical distraction, Lena’s mind began to run wild. The voice in her head resembled her own, which made it so much easier to believe the things it was telling her. 

_ You couldn’t even maintain a friendship with an adult, how do you think you’re going to be able to parent Lori without completely screwing her up?  _

Lena gasped for air and squeezed her eyes shut. But the darkness only made the sounds in her head louder and the feeling that something terrible was going to happen to intensify. She opened her mouth and eyes simultaneously as she drew in a breath. 

_ If Lillian does end up taking Lori, you will have deserved it.   _

She needed to stop these feelings and pull herself together so she could get to work on time. She held her breath to stop the hyperventilating and hopefully, in turn, the panic. 

_ You’re going to ruin Lori’s life, just like Lillian ruined yours. _

Lena leaned forward and exhaled before inhaling as much air as she could take in and holding her breath once more. Her heart was pounding against her chest and she could practically hear it beating, but she ignored it. She hugged herself even tighter and focused on getting whatever it was she was feeling to stop. 

She wanted to pinch herself. She  _ really _ wanted to pinch herself. She needed to make herself stop feeling so much and focus on something else. Lena let out the breath she’d been holding in and quickly drew in another one. 

She rested her head on the steering wheel as she tried to even out her breathing. Part of her felt like she was going to be sick, another part of her wanted to cry. 

But there was no time for that now. She needed to put this behind her, get it together and go to work. 

While Lena had completely lost it, Kara had managed to keep it together pretty well. However, she felt herself counting the minutes until lunch and checking the clock even more frequently than her students did. 

At one point, she gave up on holding it together and told her class to silent read until lunch. She didn’t want to teach a lesson, and she knew if one of her students ticked her off she might not be able to respond professionally. 

She knew it wasn’t productive to tell her students to read. They would end up having side conversations and passing notes just like they always did. But she didn’t want to risk potentially yelling at a child just because she was in a bad mood.

When the bell finally rang for lunch, she found herself breathing a sigh of relief as she watched all of her students leave. Sure, Kara loved working with them, but sometimes all she wanted was some time to be alone with her thoughts. And she most certainly did not have that luxury when it was her responsibility to monitor and educate thirty ten-year-olds for eight hours a day. 

However, her short moment of peace was ruined when she saw Lori standing in her doorway, just as she always did. 

She sighed and looked over at the little girl. She pursed her lips and folded her arms over her chest before speaking. 

“Lori, I’m sorry, but I’m gonna need you to go to lunch today,” Kara said softly. 

Lori tilted her head. “Are you okay?” 

“Yes, I-- I’m fine, I just need you to go to the cafeteria,” Kara said and let out a shaky breath. 

Lori took a step forward, completely ignoring Kara’s instructions. “You look sad,” she commented. 

Kara sighed. “I’ve had a rough day,” she admitted and forced a smile. “But I’m fine.” 

Lori walked over to Kara and put her backpack down on the floor. “You sound like Le-- my mom.”

Kara furrowed her brow. “What do you mean?” She noted that Lori had started to say Lena but quickly changed it. She couldn’t be sure if Lori had started calling Lena her mom, or if she had started talking about Lena then changed the subject to her birth mother. However, no matter how badly she wanted to know the answer, it would be inappropriate to ask. 

“She gets sad sometimes but she always says she’s fine,” Lori explained with a shrug. “She takes these pills that are supposed to make her less sad, but sometimes they don’t work. Like when my grandma came.”

Kara cringed as she recalled Lena’s phone call, where she went on and on about how her mother had shown up without any warning. 

“Well I promise, I really am alright,” Kara replied. She gave a small genuine smile at Lori’s concern. 

“Do you like Oreos?” Lori asked randomly. 

“What?”

Lori picked up her lunch box and set it on Kara’s desk. “I always get them in my lunch if I had a bad day,” she explained as she pulled out a pack of Oreos from her lunch. “And yesterday my grandma came and we  _ all _ had a bad day.”

Kara nodded slowly, unsure of what Lori was getting at. 

“But you’re having a bad day now, so you need them more than I do,” she said and handed the pack to Kara, who took them with a smile. 

“That’s really sweet of you, Lori,” Kara said softly. 

Lori grinned. “Thank you.”

She came behind Kara’s desk awkwardly wrapped her arms around her waist. Kara hugged her back and felt her eyes fill with tears at the little girl's kindness. Sure it wasn’t much, a pack of Oreos and a hug probably would’ve meant nothing to any other teacher. But Lori’s intelligence mixed with her compassion made her such an incredible child and it was in moments like these that Kara was reminded of how lucky she was to have Lori as a student. 

And though she knew she wasn’t supposed to play favorites, she would be lying if she didn’t say Lori made her job so much more enjoyable. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that chapter really sucked, but I kind of liked the ending. I'm gonna resolve all the plot holes, and I'm sorry this has been so sloppy so far, it just might take a little while.   
> Comments and feedback is greatly appreciated :)


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lena realizes there is nothing Lillian can do to take Lori from her legally. But despite this, Lillian still wants power over them both. Lori's intelligence creates problems for both Kara and Lena.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I'm so sorry I haven't posted anything in forever! I took a week off from writing because my mental health has been crap lately, and writing so much was a factor of that. I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to continue to write daily anymore, but I'll try to post something at least once a week.

 Lena drummed her fingers against her desk and reclined against her chair. She’d already finished her work for the morning, which meant she was free to go on her lunch break.

Normally, on days like this, she would be so focused on her work that she would skip lunch altogether and not even think about leaving her office until it was time to pick up Lori. But today was different. Lena had gotten through her work pretty quickly because she’d been using it as a distraction. She needed to take her mind off of Kara and Lillian and how she was somehow going to find a way to screw everything up. 

Rationally speaking, she knew there was nothing Lillian could do to take Lori from her. She had adopted Lori, so the only way for Lillian to possibly have a chance of taking custody of her was is she somehow proved Lena to be an unfit mother. She knew with Lillian’s criminal record, there was no way this was possible. But Lena was unable to find comfort in this information. 

So what if she couldn’t take Lori legally? Whose to say she wouldn’t sneak into Lena’s penthouse in the middle of the night and take her while Lena was asleep? The possibilities were endless, and though Lena recognized that they were all nearly impossible, she couldn’t help but worry that Lori would somehow be taken from her. 

It wasn’t until she heard her office door open, that she finally snapped out of her thoughts and looked up. 

“Sam, do you need something?” she asked as Sam took a step forward. 

She drew in a breath and she approached Lena’s desk. Lena followed in her example and stood up, her lips pursed in a tightly. She folded her arms over her chest, perfectly modeling her CEO stance and expression. 

“I just wanted to say, I’m sorry about the other day. It was just my instinct to protect Ruby, and I-- I guess I panicked,” Sam said and Lena nodded. 

She had to hold back a laugh. With all of the apologies Lena had experienced today, it was beginning to feel quite redundant. It was for that reason, she decided to just let it go. She already had so many things to worry about, being upset with her CFO would just be unproductive. 

“It’s alright,” Lena said with a slight smile. “You were just looking out for your kid, I get that.” 

“Thanks,”  Sam said, a look of relief flooded her features. “Oh-- and Ruby wanted to know if Lori could come to her birthday party on Friday.”

“I’m sure Lori would love that,” Lena said and grinned. 

“I’ll tell Ruby, she’s really excited,” Sam enthused. “But I should probably let you get back to work,” she said when she noticed Lena’s open laptop and paperwork organized in neat piles on her desk.

“I’ll text you my address,” she added before walking out of Lena’s office. 

Lena managed to make it through the rest of the day without stressing too much about Lillian. It was mostly because she dove into her work so deeply that she had no other choice but to box up her emotions and shove them down into the deep, dark, depths of her mind. But did it really matter why she was being so productive as long as she was getting her work done? 

Reasons for productivity set aside, Lena was able to make it through the day and before she knew it, she was back at her penthouse with Lori by her side. 

“What’s this?” Lori asked and picked up an envelope that had been slid under the apartment door. 

She ran over to Lena, who was in the kitchen cooking dinner. Well, maybe not cooking-- more so, microwaving old Chinese take out. 

She turned to Lori, who held up the envelope for her to see. She quickly took the paper and ripped it open. 

“What’s inside?” Lori asked eagerly and rocked back and forth on her heels. 

“It’s probably just this months bills,” Lena mumbled, but she pulled out a colorful pamphlet. She opened up the paper and examined the pictures of different girls along with photographs of beautiful buildings. 

Lena sighed and threw it down on the kitchen island when she realized what it was. “It’s a pamphlet for the Badminton Boarding School in England,” she explained and shook her head.

"Who sent it?"

Lena sighed and shook her head. Lillian trying to micromanage the way she raised Lori was still a real nuisance, but at least that's all it was. There was no way she could take Lori via envelope, so for now, there was no reason to panic.

"It's from my mother. She wants you to go to boarding school."

“What’s a boarding school?” Lori asked as she began to look through the pictures and read the small descriptions. 

“It’s like a regular school, except you live there,” Lena clarified. 

Lori made a disgusted face. “That sounds terrible.” 

Lena chuckled and nodded. “It depends on the situation. For a little while, I loved it because I didn’t have to live with my parents. But it started to suck after a little while.” 

Lena opened up the envelope once more and pulled out a letter. 

“Badminton has a great program for gifted girls. I recommend you consider sending Lori there instead of keeping her at a rudimentary school that will teach her to be nothing more than mediocre,” Lena read aloud. She rolled her eyes and crumped the paper up before tossing it into the trash. 

She glanced back at Lori, who seemed to be deep in thought. 

“If I did want to go to that kind of  school, would you let me?” Lori asked. 

Lena furrowed her brow, Lori couldn’t actually be considering this, could she? 

“I mean… if that’s what you want I-- I guess we could talk about it. I wouldn’t send you all the way to Europe of course. But I-- if that’s what you wanted-- and if you were absolutely sure… I… yes, I would let you,” Lena said reluctantly. 

She wanted more than anything to keep Lori with her for as long as possible. She wanted Lori to have the childhood she’d been deprived of. She wanted Lori to jump in mud puddles, watch cartoons in the morning, and wear colorful wacky outfits that she would one day look back on and wonder why she was ever let out of the house looking that way. She didn’t want Lori to be cooped up inside all day, surrounded by snobby, entitled, rich children who all think they’re the best because they come from families with money. She didn’t want Lori to grow up thinking her worth was based on other peoples perceptions of her, just like she had. 

“I… I don’t think I really want to,” Lori began. “I like living with you, and I like my teacher.” 

Lena bit her lip, she sensed a  _ but _ coming. 

“Sometimes...” Lori drew in a breath. She couldn’t say it. Not after everything Lena had done for her.  It would be too rude. 

“Never mind,” she said quickly. “Can we do some of the work from the books Miss. Danvers gave me?”

Lena nodded. She was confused as to why Lori had changed the subject so quickly, but she knew Lori would come to her when she was ready. So she smiled, sat down at the island and waited for Lori to get her backpack. 

Lori sat beside her and they worked on her math problems as they always did, but something felt off. They seemed to be almost too easy for Lori, and there would come moments where Lori would have to correct Lena’s work. 

Lena knew her sloppiness was due to the exhaustion that had been brought on by these last few days in addition to not doing college trigonometry since-- well, college. She didn’t mind that Lori was correcting her. She knew eventually Lori would be smarter than she was, and she was alright with that. She just couldn’t help but feel like she was holding her back. She had been so sure she was doing the right thing for Lori, but now it felt like she might need to re-evaluate everything. 

The next day, Lori slumped in her seat as she listened to Kara go over square roots. The other students just weren’t getting it, which was slowly angering Lori more and more. It was just so  _ easy _ , why couldn’t they see that? 

Kara was trying to put a positive spin on it and keep encouraging her students, but even she was starting to get annoyed. They’d already gone over square numbers, it shouldn’t be this hard for them to just divide. But nevertheless, her students were only ten years old, so she had to stay calm and patient. No matter how badly she wanted to scream, she had to keep her annoyance hidden. 

“Okay, what about eighty-one? Can anyone tell me the square root of that?” She asked with a fake smile plastered on her face. 

A boy raised his hand and Kara pointed to him. 

“Seven?” He asked. 

Kara sighed and shook her head. “No, but you’re close,” she said, her positive exterior wearing thin. 

Lori groaned, and a few heads turned. She deflated against her seat and looked up at Kara. She was somewhere between annoyed and bored, but Kara wasn’t quite sure how to handle the situation. 

“Everyone knows it’s nine,” Lori stated. 

Kara drew in a breath. “That’s correct, but we’re all still learning here.”

“That’s stupid,” Lori shot back. “It’s easy and boring.” 

Kara folded her arms over her chest. “Lori, stand up for a minute.” 

Lori sighed and reluctantly stood up. She tilted her head and raised an eyebrow as she waited for Kara to get whatever she was about to do over with. 

“Everyone here is still learning, even you,” Kara said. 

“But I know this,” Lori retorted. 

Kara bit her lip. She knew she shouldn’t be doing this. It wasn’t professional at all, but she was fed up with everyone, even her students. 

“What’s twelve multiplied by thirty?”

“Three hundred and sixty.”

“Eighteen by sixty-five?”

“One thousand one hundred and seventy.”

“Eighty-three divided by nine and a half?”

Lori paused and looked down at the ground. 

“See, we’re all learning at a different pace. I know it may seem easy to you, but everyone learns differently. Maybe it’ll take some time but--”

“8.74,” Lori said. She looked up at Kara and the entire class went silent. 

Kara drew in a breath and looked down at the little girl standing in front of her. “Lori, you can sit down now,” she said quietly. 

“I think as a class, we need to work on being more supportive of each other. Everyone here is very smart, and I believe all of you can figure square roots out. But we need to be positive and build each other up because we learn the most when we help others,” Kara stated before turning back to the board and re-explaining how to find the square root of a number. 

She mental reminder to call Lena later. She already needed to talk to her about Lori, maybe there was a possibility they’d be able to work out their issues in the process. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and feedback is greatly appreciated :)


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lori starts acting out in class, so Kara talks about it with Lena. They start to rebuild their friendship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't revise this, so I'm really sorry if it's a disaster.

 

“Lena, can I talk to you for a minute?” Kara asked when Lena arrived at the end of the day to pick Lori up.

Lena nodded nervously and told Lori to go wait in the hall. She wasn’t sure if Kara was mad at her, or if Lori had gotten herself into trouble. Either way, she was sure the outcome of either situation wouldn’t be good.

Kara closed the door behind them so that they were all alone. They sat down at one of the tables, which made Lena feel awkward and out of place.

“So… Lori talked back in class today,” Kara began.

Lena inhaled sharply, her expression turned from nervous to shocked. “She did? I-- well, she’s never talked back to me before. Did-- I don’t know, did something happen that might’ve upset her?”

Kara sighed and shook her head. She was used to parents defending her kids far more than they deserved. If she had a dollar for every time she’d heard  _well, they’re never like that at home_ or _my kid would never do that_ , she would be richer than Lena by now.

“As far as I know, nothing happened that would’ve provoked her,” Kara said calmly. She was used to these conversations, by now it felt like she was just reading off of a script. Although, with Lori, it did feel a little different.

Lori had always been one of her most respectful students. She was quiet and never raised her voice. She listened when Kara spoke, and she never questioned her authority. Kara couldn’t fathom why Lori had suddenly decided to act out today, the only reason she could think of, was she had been doing it for attention. But normally when kids acted out because they wanted attention, it was some sort of cry for help. Kara just couldn’t be sure what Lori would’ve needed that she didn’t already have.

“Then what happened?” Lena asked. “She must’ve had a reason.”

Kara proceeded to explain the situation, to which Lena listened intently.

Lena looked down at her lap and thought about the talk they’d had yesterday. Was Lori doing this because she wanted to go to boarding school, or just because she was too smart for her own good? Before she could justify Lori’s actions further, Kara cut her off.

“I think she needs to be taken out of my class.”

“What? But it-- it was just one comment, kids-- they do stupid stuff all the time. I-- I’ll talk to her, it won’t happen again-- but don’t you think that’s a little harsh?” Lena exclaimed.

Kara sighed and looked Lena in the eye. “You didn’t let me finish. She needs to be taken out of my class so she can be put in a gifted program. Clearly, she’s finding the work I’m assigning tedious, and I’m doing my best to cater towards her abilities-- I’ve been giving her separate work so she won’t be so bored. But that’s not enough. She doesn’t even ask me questions anymore. I think even the work I’ve been assigning her is too easy, and that’s at a college level.”

“I just want her to be a kid-- I want her to be normal,” Lena said quietly.

“But she isn’t normal, Lena,” Kara retorted. “She’s clearly gifted, and she isn’t happy here.”

Lena bit her lip and averted Kara’s gaze. All she wanted was for Lori to be happy, but she couldn’t even make that happen.

“I know we don’t always see eye to eye on things, but I care about you both,” Kara said softly. Sure a part of her was still just a little bit mad for how Lena had treated her in the past, but she needed to be an adult right now. She couldn’t let her feelings interfere with the quality of a students education, especially a student like Lori.

“Lori isn’t benefiting from being here. I’m sure if she was transferred to a school for gifted children she would learn so much _and_ she would find it easier to make friends. Once she’s surrounded by people as smart as she is, it’ll be easier for her to talk to the other kids,” she explained.

Lena drew in a breath and looked back up at Kara. “I was a lot like Lori growing up,” she said with a small smile. “The only difference is, I was sent to a school for gifted children. I went to a boarding school for math prodigies, and I’m gonna be honest with you-- I hated it. I’m not putting Lori through the same thing.”

Kara sighed. “Please, just consider putting her in a harder program, she might really like it,” she said, and Lena could tell she really was just trying to help.

Lena sighed and stood up. “I’ll think about it, but Lori and I really should get going now.”

As the week progressed, Lori’s behavior only seemed to get worse. She never talked back to Kara, but she stopped copying notes entirely and she never did the work she was assigned anymore. When a student got a question wrong, Kara could see Lori getting progressively more aggravated with each failed attempt. Though she never raised her hand in class, Kara noticed Lori making faces while angrily muttering the answer to herself and calling her classmate an idiot.

Kara spoke to her about her behavior multiple times, but Lori never explained why she was acting the way she was. She simply shrugged it off and said she wouldn’t do it again, but Kara knew that wasn’t true.

She called Lena multiple times, but each time they talked was unproductive. Kara was pushing for Lori to be put in a gifted program, but Lena wouldn’t budge. She told Kara she would get it under control, but Kara knew they would be having the same discussion within a matter of days.

On Thursday, when Lena didn’t get a call, she assumed things had finally started to work themselves out. So when Kara called on Friday, Lena wasn’t sure what to think.

Lori was sleeping over at Sam’s house for Ruby's thirteenth birthday, which meant Lena had the house to herself for the first time since Lori had moved in with her. She wasn’t quite sure what she was supposed to do now. If Kara told her Lori had acted out again was she supposed to pick her up early? Was that what experienced parents did?

Unsure of how to act, Lena picked up the phone and prepared herself for the worst.

“Hey, what’s up?”

“So I’ve been doing some research, and I’m pretty sure Lori could take weekly classes at National City University once a week if she passed an admissions test. There’s also a private school for gifted and talented kids ages five through thirteen a few blocks away from National City Elementary,” Kara rambled.

“Kara, you know how I feel about this kind of thing,” Lena groaned.

“I know-- and I’m sorry I keep pushing, but I think I figured out why Lori’s been acting this way,” she explained.

Lena bit her lip, she had to admit, she was intrigued. If Kara had figured it out, she wanted to know what was going on.

“A lot of times when students misbehave it’s because they want attention. But it’s not just-- she doesn’t just want someone to notice she’s acting out, she wants someone to notice _why_ she’s acting out,” Kara began. “She hates school, we both know that. I think she’s trying to tell you she wants to be put in a harder class but she doesn’t know how.”

Lena sighed. It did make sense. The smarter Lori got, the more she seemed to resent school. Her heart began to ache when she realized Lori had been begging for her to do something all this time, and she’d ignored her.

“Why wouldn’t she just talk to me?” Lena whispered to no one in particular.

“She was probably too scared,” Kara said softly. “If she knows you’re just going to reject the idea, I don’t think she feels there’s any point in talking to you.”

Tears burned in Lena’s eyes. Kara was right, she’d been right this whole time and now Lori was miserable. She’d spent the first ten years of her life living with a mother who completely ignored her intelligence. She’d been told she was a nuisance because she was smart and had grown up in an environment where her mind was rejected instead of nourished.

Lena had worked so hard to give Lori a life where she could just be a kid, a life where she could be happy. But it was starting to seem like she was no better than Lori’s birth mother.

“And you… you think if she starts going to a new school it-- it’ll get better?” Lena asked quietly.

“Yes.”

“Would you want to come over? You can show me the programs you’ve been looking into,” Lena suggested. “And I don’t know… maybe we can catch up or something.”

Kara hesitated. Though she didn’t want to admit it, she did want to see Lena again. She _really_ wanted to see her again. Maybe she should’ve still been mad, but she had bigger things to worry about. Lena made a mistake and apologized for it, she was ready to move on.

“Yeah, that sounds good,” Kara said with a small smile in her voice.

When Kara arrived at Lena’s apartment, she found Lena looking possibly the most relaxed and peaceful she’d ever seen her. She’d traded her pencil skirt and blazer for an oversized hoodie and jeans, and instead of her normal heels, she wore fuzzy socks.

Kara let out a small chuckle at Lena’s appearance. “You wear glasses?” She asked and raised an eyebrow.

Lena blushed and nodded. “Yeah…” she admitted bashfully. “I wear contacts to work though, they make me more intimidating and less human,” she said with a small laugh.  

She guided Kara inside to the living room, where they sat down on the large white couch.

Kara took this time to take in Lena’s apartment. She’d been there once before, but she hadn’t gotten the chance to really look around.

She noticed how expensive everything appeared. From the white couches to the marble countertops and class covered kitchen island, everything looked like it costed more than her yearly salary at least. Even the fluffy bean bag chair that sat next to the couch looked like it costed more than Kara wanted to even imagine.

Kara had always been aware that Lena was wealthy. She’d idolized her for months after finding out she’d taken over L Corp. Seeing her penthouse just made her realize how rich Lena really was.

“Are you alright?” Lena asked.

“Yeah, I-- you just have a really nice apartment,” Kara replied with a nervous chuckle.

“Oh… thank you,” Lena said and smiled. “So, what programs did you think Lori might like?”

Kara inhaled sharply when she remembered the reason she was here. “Oh-- so there are a few schools in the area that work with different types of prodigies like Lori. Most of them are private schools, but I was able to find a gifted and talented public school a few miles away from here that looks pretty good. I also found a few online things-- they’re just games and stuff, but I think Lori might enjoy them,” Kara rambled. “I can send you a link to the websites if you’d like,” she suggested.

Lena nodded slowly and took a deep breath. Kara was saying so much so fast, and it was all starting to fly through her head a mile a minute. The thoughts she needed to process were hanging right in front of her, but as she tried to reach out and grasp them, they seemed to fly away.

“I-- I’m sorry, I know it’s a lot to take in,” Kara said when she noticed Lena’s expression.

Lena let out a shaky breath and gave a nervous chuckle. “Yeah… it’s definitely a lot,” she said quietly.

“I… I don’t know… what do you think I should do?” Lena asked.

Kara was visibly shocked at Lena’s statement. “Wha- well I-- I mean I-- I’m not-- she’s your-- I’m not her mom, so ultimately it-- it’s up to you,” she stammered.

Lena bit her lip. “I know that.”

She folded one leg over and began to pull at a loose thread on her pants. “But I-- every time I have to make a major decision involving her I just-- I screw it up,” she looked up at Kara, her eyes were wide and full of tears.

“I don’t think that’s true,” Kara said softly, but Lena just sighed. She looked absolutely defeated, which Kara wasn’t sure how to respond to. Lena always put up a fight, especially if something was a threat to her and Lori. She always had an opinion, and she always had a way to make things better for Lori.

“Lena, you adopted her, and from what I can see, that’s the best thing that’s ever happened to her,” Kara said firmly yet kindly. “I talk to a lot of parents about their kids, and most of them want their kids to get great grades, and make honor roll, and stuff like that-- and I mean that’s all fine. But what’s different is anyone else would’ve jumped at the opportunity to send their kid to a gifted school.”

Lena sighed. “This really isn’t helping.”

“You didn’t let me finish,” Kara said and shot Lena a playful glare. “My point is; you care about your kid more than any parent I’ve ever met. You know Lori would strive in a more challenging class, but you’re focused on letting her be a kid and making sure she has friends. You care about her happiness above all, and as you keep going with that as you’re priority, you’re doing just fine.”

Lena exhaled. She leaned forward and put her head in her hands. “Having a kid is so much harder than I thought it would be,” she said with a chuckle.

Kara laughed. “Yeah, well try having thirty of them.”

“At least you get the weekends off,” Lena said and looked back up at Kara. She leaned back against the couch, her eyes not leaving Kara’s face for a second.

“Thank you though,” she said seriously.

“For what?”

“For caring. And I know it’s your job or whatever, but the things you’ve done for Lori and myself… I don’t know how I’ll ever be able to repay you,” Lena said with a genuine smile.

Kara blushed and looked down at her lap. “You don’t need to repay me, I love working with Lori. And seeing you is just an added bonus.”

Lena’s expression softened as she listened to Kara. “Well, I’ve never met anyone like you before,” she said softly. “You’re a real life saver.”

Kara blushed even deeper and her smile grew wider. “I don’t know if I’d say that, but I appreciate the compliment,” she said with a light laugh. “But if you need any help with this kind of stuff in the future, just let me know.”

“Thank you,” Lena said and placed a hand on Kara’s knee. “I don’t know what I’d do without you,” she said with a breathy laugh, though Kara could tell she was being completely serious.

“Kara Danvers, you are my hero.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I wanted to say thank you so much for all of the kind comments on my last post. I don't always respond because I don't really know how, but I appreciate you guys so much, and I'm sorry if I don't do a good job of showing it.  
> Also- if you do ever want to talk to me, my Tumblr is @godhatesoliviaa and I pretty much always respond there.  
> Comments and feedback is greatly appreciated :)


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lena asks Lori why she's been misbehaving. She starts to break under all the stress, but luckily Kara is there for her.   
> Trigger warning- Panic attack

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is kind of a huge mess. I wrote it while I was having a panic attack and I didn't have the energy or motivation to rewrite it or make it into something better, so I'm sorry about how bad it is. I'm really disappointed with how it turned out, so I might go back and revise it later. But yeah, I'm really sorry about how sloppy it is.   
> Also in case you didn't see the first one  
> Trigger warning- panic attack

 

“Lori, can we talk for a minute?” Lena asked. 

She stood in the doorway of Lori’s bedroom while Lori sat on her bed with one of her workbooks in her lap. 

“Can I finish this first?” Lori responded without looking up.

Lena ignored her request and sat down beside her. She closed the book and looked at Lori firmly, who shot her an annoyed glare. 

“You can work on that later,” she said calmly before taking the book out of Lori’s small hands and placing it on the nightstand. 

“I’ve been talking to Miss. Danvers,” Lena prompted. “Would you like to tell me why you’ve been talking back in class?” 

Surprisingly enough, she didn’t sound angry Lori had expected. She was calm and collected, she didn’t seem upset at all. She almost sounded concerned. It had to be some sort of trap. 

“Come on Lori, I’m not mad, I just want to know what’s going on,” Lena said softly. 

Lori shrugged. “I just don’t like her class, it’s too easy.”

Lena sighed and nodded. “I know,” she looked down at her lap. This was it, her chance to suggest transferring schools. Lena still hated the idea, but if it was what was best for Lori, she would take it. 

“Miss. Danvers and I-- we’ve been talking about some of the gifted and talented schools in the area. Do you think it might help if you were put in another class?” Lena offered, but Lori simply shrugged in response. 

When she stayed silent, Lena realized it was up to her to keep talking until Lori decided to speak up. “You’d get to learn stuff that would actually challenge you, and you’ll probably like the kids a lot more,” she added with an awkward laugh. 

Lori sighed and shook her head. “It’s not that. I mean… I want to go but it-- it’s not that.” 

Lena tilted her head and furrowed her brow in confusion. “Then what is it? Did something happen that you aren’t telling me?” Her words came out more enthusiastically aggressive than she’d intended, which made Lori physically retreat inside herself.

She pulled her knees into her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs. She rested her head on her knee and looked up at Lena with wide eyes. Lori looked so small and vulnerable, and it reminded Lena that even though she was smarter than most adults, Lori was just a kid. And she needed someone by her side just as much as anyone else. 

“You’re gonna be mad,” Lori said quietly. 

Lena gave a small smile and shook her head. She felt a pang of guilt in her chest for what she’d done. Her job was to protect Lori, and she was messing that up along with everything else.

“I promise, whatever it is I’ll understand,” Lena said softly. 

Lori exhaled and leaned back against her pillows so she was practically lying down. She looked up at Lena and took a minute to contemplate what she was going to say. 

“I miss how it used to be,” Lori said quietly. “I miss going to the beach and having lazy Sunday’s where we stay in our pajamas all day and eat ice cream for dinner. I wanna do fun stuff like we used to, but now you’re always working and you never have time for me anymore.” 

Hearing those words was like a slap in the face to Lena. She’d tried so hard to convince herself that Lori’s behavior wasn’t her fault. She’d done everything she could to make sure she could to make sure she could spend as much time with Lori as possible. She’d arranged her work schedule around Lori’s school day and tried to limit herself to only five hours of work on the weekends. She knew Lori’s birth mother had neglected her more than she’d cared for her, which was why she worked so hard to make sure the time she spent with Lori was meaningful, even if it was short. But now it was starting to feel like none of that mattered. 

“Lori, I-- I don’t know what to say,” Lena admitted and placed a hand on Lori’s knee. She looked down at her lap and paused as she searched for the right words. 

“I-- I’m so sorry if I’ve made you feel like I don’t have enough time for you. I know I work a lot, and I’m still adjusting to this whole thing, but I promise I’m gonna make it better,” Lena said. 

“My parents used to work a lot too,” Lena bit her lip and thought back to all the nights she waited up for Lillian and Lionel to come back from work. 

She used to run down the stairs of the Luthor manor in her nightgown with her teddy bear in hand in hopes to get a goodnight kiss, or if she was lucky maybe a bedtime story. But she was always disappointed when she was told to stop waiting up because they didn’t want to waste their time with silly things like fairy tales and goodnight cuddles. So Lena would go to the only other member of the Luthor household, her brother Lex. 

She would sit in his lap while he read her whatever princess story her heart desired that night, before ruffling her hair and telling her to go to bed before Lillian caught them and she got into trouble. But then there were the nights when Lex, like Lillian and Lionel, wanted nothing to do with her. More often then not, he would yell at her until he scared her away, and she would run back to her room in tears. She would hide under the covers and cry herself to sleep, and when she woke up tell herself maybe today would be different. 

Eventually, she realized things weren’t going to change, her family was never going to give her the love and affection she craved. Once she came to terms with this, she worked extra hard on perfecting her reading skills so she could read herself a bedtime story every night. Then before she went to bed, she would kiss her teddy bear on the top of its fluffy head. Because to her, it didn’t matter that she wasn’t getting a kiss goodnight didn’t mean she should deprive her only stuffed animal of one too. 

Lena couldn’t let herself become the parent that had a child crying herself to sleep in the room across the hall because she didn’t have enough time to be there for her. 

“I know it sucks when you want to do something fun, and I’m busy with work. And I’m really sorry if I’ve been ignoring you because you are the most important thing in my life right now,” Lena said. She hoped Lori could see how genuine she was being because the words she spoke were all she’d ever wanted to hear from her mother growing up. 

“I’m going start delegating more and only prioritizing certain projects so that we can spend more time together,” she said with a smile, which Lori returned. 

“Really?”

“Yeah, I need to be there for you, even if that means cutting back on my work time,” Lena said and placed a kiss on Lori’s forehead. “And I’ll look into getting you into a gifted school.”

Lori grinned and clapped her hands together. 

“Now in the meantime, just let your teacher do her job and stop talking back,” Lena said with a groan. 

Lena spent the rest of the afternoon working with Lori on advanced online math problems Lori had picked out. Once the little girl was asleep, Lena researched child and family psychologists in National City. She figured after everything Lori had been through with her birth mother, it couldn’t hurt for her to have someone to talk to about it. Especially if that person could also help Lena with her anxiety, which though manageable, had been giving Lena more problems then she would’ve liked. 

Once she was done, she checked her schedule for the next morning and had to refrain from throwing her phone across the room at what she saw. She had four meetings, three of which were back to back. Her first meeting ended at 3:15, which was fifteen after she was supposed to have picked up Lori by, and her second started at 3:35. There was no possible way for her to pick up Lori and make it to all of her meetings, it wouldn’t even be possible for her to make it to two of her meetings. So she did what seemed the most reasonable to her at whatever ungodly hour of the night it was. 

She called Kara. 

Luckily, Kara obliged almost instantly, and Lena barely had to ask for anything. Kara would drive Lori from school to L Corp, drop her off at Sam’s office so she could hang out with her and Ruby until Lena was done with work. 

It should’ve worked out perfectly. Except Lena had been on edge all day for reasons she couldn’t understand. So when Kara dropped by her office to tell her Lori was with Sam and Ruby, Lena couldn’t help the words that left her mouth. 

“Kara?”

Kara turned around immediately at the sound of her name. “Yeah?” She responded.

“I think I’m about to have a panic attack.”

“What?” Kara said softly, unsure of if she’d heard her correctly. 

“I-- I think I’m gonna have a panic attack,” Lena repeated. 

Kara nodded slowly and took a step forward. Lena’s chest was rising and falling much faster then it should’ve been, and she was scared Kara could hear her loud heartbeat. 

“Okay,” she said, unsure of what she was supposed to do.

“Let’s go sit down,” Kara reached out her hand which Lens grabbed ahold of almost immediately. Kara guided them over to the white couch at the other end of Lena’s office and sat down after Lena. 

“I-- I don’t-- I don’t know why I-- I was fine all day,” Lena began to ramble. “Nothing bad happened-- there’s no reason for this to be happening.” 

“I-- I mean I’ve kind of-- I guess I’ve been anxious all day but there-- there was no reason,” Lena added, for some reason feeling the need to justify herself to Kara.

Kara nodded silently as she listened to Lena. She wasn’t exactly sure how she was supposed to help, but she knew she would do whatever Lena needed from her. 

“And now I-- I don’t know,” Lena’s voice broke and she gasped for air. Tears began to blur her vision but she wouldn’t let herself cry. Not in front of Kara. 

But she knew it was only a matter of time before the tears began to fall. Her heart was pounding against her chest and it was getting harder to breathe with every passing second. 

“But I-- now I can’t breathe a- and something is-- I don’t know what it is but something is wrong,” Lena continued, her voice broke which meant it wasn’t long before she fully humiliated herself by crying in front of Kara. Sure, it had happened before, but not like this. Nobody had ever seen her have a panic attack before, and she didn’t want to start with one of her only friends. 

“It’s okay, you’re okay,” Kara said softly. 

Lena shook her head and gasped for air once more. Her chest tightened as the ground beneath her began to sway. She was sitting, but it still felt like the floor may slip away at any minute. She knew none of this was rational. She knew the floor couldn’t just disappear, but all feelings of rationality had seemed to leave her body as her legs had started to shake and her hands were quivering. 

“Lena, you’re hyperventilating,” Kara commented. “You need to try to breathe.”

“I can’t,” Lena choked out. She squeezed her legs in an attempt to get them to stop shaking, but that only made the rest of her body tremble even more. 

“I-- I don’t know what it is but some-- somethings wrong,” she reiterated. “And it doesn’t make any sense be- because today it-- today was good.” 

Lena looked around frantically, she needed her hands to stop shaking. She needed to hold onto something. She gripped onto the couch's armrest and held onto it even after her knuckles had turned white. 

“Do you want to get water? It might help,” Kara suggested, but Lena shook her head.

“If I walk I’m gonna faint,” she said flatly. But as soon as the words left her mouth the tears that filled her eyes began to spill. The corners of her mouth pulled downwards into a frown, despite her attempts to keep a straight face. 

Lena opened her mouth and tried to breathe, but her lungs rejected the air around her. She held onto the armrest even tighter and closed her eyes for a split second. But when she opened them, the room had started to spin. Her surroundings were becoming blurred as they flashed in front of her, only to disappear in an instant. 

Slowly, she placed her feet on the ground in hopes of being able to ground herself, but the floor beneath her felt flimsy and weak. It was swaying rhythmically as if it were getting ready to pull itself out from under her at any given moment. 

“Lena, you need to try to take some deep breaths,” Kara said softly. 

Lena wasn’t sure how she could be so calm. Something was wrong, she wasn’t sure what it was, but something was  _ wrong _ . But she complied and gave a quick nod and began to mimic the deep breaths Kara was taking. 

“Okay, are you sure you don’t want any water?” Kara asked, and Lena nodded. 

“I-- I can’t go to my meeting,” Lena blurted out as more tears began to run down her cheeks. 

“That’s okay. If you want I can talk to your secretary or assistant-- or whoever, and tell them you’re not feeling well,” Kara said calmly. 

Lena gasped for air and swallowed the lump in her throat. 

None of this made any sense. She had been fine earlier, her talk with Lori had gone well, she’d had a considerably good day. So why was she falling to pieces now? She couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt this way, but now she couldn’t stop thinking about how she was letting everyone down. 

She wasn’t prepared for her meeting, and if she stood up in front of the board, she was going to make a fool of herself and her company. She would’ve been ready if she hadn’t been up all night trying to schedule appointments with a therapist for both herself and Lori. And she wouldn't have had to do that if she’d just been on top of her daughter like a good parent. She was letting everyone down, and there was nothing she could do to stop herself from making everything worse. 

“And I-- I have one tomorrow and I-- I’m not ready,” Lena cried. She wasn’t sure why she was rambling so much, but she couldn't keep the words that kept falling out of her mouth inside of her. “I’m gonna look so stupid. I-- I don’t know what I’m doing o- or why I-- I just-- I can’t do it.” 

Kara nodded as she tried to take in everything Lena was saying. “Okay, first of all, you need to breathe,” she said with a nervous chuckle.

“I just-- I’m letting everyone down,” Lena cried quietly. 

Kara shook her head. She felt her heart break at that statement. Lena was the most amazing person she knew, and it hurt to hear the way she spoke about herself. 

“You’re not letting anyone down.” 

Lena shook her head and choked back another sob. She slowly released her grip on the armrest, but her hands began to shake again. She pulled on her fingertips and intertwined her fingers to try to get it to stop, but it worked to no avail. 

“I-- I’m screwing up my company I-- I don’t-- I shouldn’t-- I shouldn’t be the one in charge I-- I don’t deserve it,” Lena continued. Tears rolled freely down her cheeks and she didn’t seem to show any signs of stopping (rambling or crying) any time soon. 

“Lena,” Kara said firmly. “You need to breathe.” 

Lena nodded nervously and took a deep breath. “It’s just so much,” she cried quietly. 

Kara gave a reassuring smile. “I know, but you’re gonna get through it.”

Lena bit her lip and nodded. She let out a shaky breath and wiped away her tears as she began to follow Kara’s breathing. After a few minutes of sitting in silence, Lena’s breathing began to even out and she seemed to have somewhat composed herself.

“Why is it you only see me when I’m falling apart at the seems?” She asked and chuckled humorlessly. 

Kara let out a light laugh and shrugged. “It’s okay, one of these days you’ll see me fall apart.” 

Lena sighed and rubbed her eyes before looking up at Kara. “I’m really sorry you had to be here for this.” 

“Don’t worry about it,” she said with a reassuring smile. “Do you feel any better?”

Lena nodded. “Yeah… I’m not… I mean I’m not  _ better _ better, but I’ll get there.” 

“That’s good,” Kara said and mindlessly placed her hand on top of Lena’s. “Do you want me to stay until you start feeling okay again?” 

Lena gave a small smile and felt her cheeks flush bright red. “You wouldn’t mind?” 

“Of course not.” 

“Thank you,” Lena said softly. 

“It’s no problem,” Kara said with a grin. “And Lena?”

“Yeah?”

“You don’t need to worry, you’re doing just fine.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I've gotten some asks about Lillian, and don't worry, she will be coming back, I didn't forget about her storyline. I just wasn't sure how to incorporate that into this mess of a chapter, so her story will come back in the next chapter.  
> Comments and feedback is greatly appreciated :)


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lori meets with her therapist for the first time. She also talks to Lena about Lex. Lillian makes her return

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! So I'm considering writing a short prequel about what it was like when Lori first moved in with Lena and what it was like before they met Kara. Obviously, it would be completely Lena/Lori centric, but I think it might be kind of cool to go deeper into that stuff. Please let me know if you would want me to write something like that.

****Lori anxiously bounced her leg up and down as she waited for Lena’s name to be called.  She wasn’t quite sure where they were, but it seemed to be some sort of waiting room. Lena had explained it to her already, but it was still all very confusing.

They were seeing a doctor. Not the type of doctor who would see if she was sick, but the kind of doctor she could talk to about if she had any problems in her life. Lena had called it a psychologist. But if Lori was being honest, she would’ve rather seen a real doctor.

Real doctors would tell her things she understood. They talked about medicine and anatomy, which was easy for Lori to understand because it was all facts. With this type of doctor, she wasn’t sure how to feel. So much was left up to interpretation when all Lori wanted was an equation or a mathematical way to solve the problem in front of her. But now, she wouldn’t be able to figure out the answer for herself, it was up to someone else to do that, and perhaps that was the scariest part of this whole thing.

After what felt like hours of waiting, a tall man emerged from his office and asked for her to come with him. Lori looked to Lena for approval, who gave a smile and nod.

Lori followed the man, who introduced himself as Dr. J’onn Jones, into his office and sat down on one of the large black leather couches. He sat across from her and offered a warm smile, which Lori didn’t return.

“So, Lori, do you know why you’re here today?” Dr. Jones asked, and Lori shook her head.

“Well, I’m a therapist. That means you can talk to me about your problems-- or anything really and I’ll help you find ways to solve them,” he explained. “And you can tell me anything you’d like. I won’t tell your mom anything you’ve said in here unless it’s okay with you.”

“So… if I told you something about _her_ , you still couldn’t say anything?” Lori asked.

Dr. Jones nodded. “That’s right unless the thing you told me gives me a reason to believe either one of you is in danger, I can’t repeat anything you say.”

“Now, I talked to your mom on the phone yesterday and she said you’ve been thinking about your biological mom recently, would you like to talk about that?” He prompted.

Lori just shrugged, unsure of what to say.

“Do you miss her?”

Lori shrugged once more. “I mean, I used to,” she admitted.

“And you don’t anymore?”

“Well, I have a new mom now, I don’t need to miss her.”

Dr. Jones nodded. “I understand that, but would you say she affects your life? Like do you ever compare her and Lena?”

“I mean… I guess,” Lori confessed. “Sometimes I get mad at her.”

The doctor furrowed his brow and scribbled something down on a notepad. “You get mad at your biological mom or Lena?”

“My biological mom,” Lori said quietly. “And my dad.”

“That makes sense. After what she put you through, you deserve to be angry. As long as you don’t let the anger outweigh your other emotions.”

Lori sighed and shook her head. “But I’m not angry about how she treated me.”

“Then what are you angry about?”

Lori sucked in her bottom lip and looked down at her lip. Though she was still angry about it, she would never actually admit why. It would be too selfish, too rude and disrespectful. Especially after everything Lena had done for her, she didn’t deserve to say it out loud.

“I’m sorry… I shouldn’t say,” Lori said quietly, refusing to look back up at Dr. Jones as she was too ashamed.

“Lori, you can tell me whatever it is, I won’t get mad,” Dr. Jones said softly.

Lori took a deep breath and looked up slightly. “I’m mad because she let them take me,” she confessed, her voice barely above a whisper. “She just let strangers come into our house a- and take me away,” she continued, her voice getting louder with every word.

“She didn’t even try to stop them-- she didn’t even cry!” Lori exclaimed, her voice breaking. “She was supposed to love me, but she didn’t care.”

Dr. Jones sighed. “I’m sure she loves you, Lori,” he said calmly, but Lori frowned and shook her head.

Lori folded her arms over her chest protectively and bit the inside of her cheeks to keep herself from crying.

“I think she knows that you going to live with Lena was what’s best for you.”

Lori nodded sadly. “Yeah, I guess,” she responded, her voice almost inaudible.

“What about your father, why are you angry with him?” Dr. Jones asked.

Lori began to bounce her knee up and down once more. She didn’t like talking about her dad. Not with anyone, especially not someone she’d known for less than half an hour. It just didn’t seem fair, why should he get to know all of this?

“Is it because he left?” Dr. Jones suggested.

Lori shrugged but stayed silent. Dr. Jones was very persistent, and it was starting to irritate her.

“Do you ever feel like it’s your fault?” He asked softly. He knew it was very common for kids like Lori to blame themselves when a parent abandoned them the way Lex did. There had been moments where Lori had contemplated the idea, Lex leaving because of her did make sense. But Lori didn’t think of him as much as she thought about her birth mom. And after she’d spoken about him with Lena, she hadn’t felt the need to dwell on what he’d done. But now that Dr. Jones was bringing him up again, she was starting to think maybe she should be thinking about him more.

“Not really, I don’t really talk about him,” Lori replied. “I mean, my mom took me to lunch and we talked about him, but that was it.”

“Do you wish you got to talk about him more?”

Lori shrugged. “I don’t think so.”

Dr. Jones nodded and scribbled something down. “And you like living with Lena, right?” he asked.

Lori bit her lip and gave a small smile. “Yeah.”

“Why is that?”

Lori looked up and brushed her hair out of her face. “Well… she liked me before she knew I was smart,” she admitted. “My birth mom hated that I was smart, and my grandma only wants me because I’m smart. But Lena-- my mom doesn’t care.”

Dr. Jones smiled at Lori’s response. He wrote something down on his notepad before looking back up at Lori and speaking again. “What do you mean when you say your grandma only wants you because you’re smart?”

“She wants to take me away,” Lori said quietly. “She doesn’t think my mom does a good job of taking care of me.”

“But you want to stay with Lena?”

Lori nodded. “She’s a good person, she loves me.”

Once Lori and Lena’s appointments were over, they sat in the car in silence. Dr. Jones had told Lena that she should start coming back to therapy at least once every two weeks for her anxiety, she was put in one of her less pleasant moods. She’d thought she had finally gotten everything under control, but it seemed like the universe disagreed.

Dr. Jones telling her that Lori showed symptoms of PTSD only made her feel worse. She knew she probably should’ve talked to Lori. She should’ve done the motherly thing and told her there was nothing wrong with what she was feeling, but she couldn’t bring herself to speak. She just wanted to curl up in bed and ignore the world until she started to feel better, but she knew she couldn’t do that. So she settled on not speaking until absolutely necessary. Sadly, that moment came much earlier than she would’ve liked.

“Is it my fault my dad left?” Lori asked during the car ride back to their apartment.

Lena had to stop herself slamming the brakes out of anger at the statement. “What? Were did you get that idea?” She exclaimed. “Did Dr. Jones say something.”

Lori sighed. “No…” she voice trailed off. “But we were talking about my parents.”

“Oh,” Lena breathed.

“So… was it my fault?”

Lena tightened her grip on the steering wheel. Her heart was racing. She took a deep breath and reminded herself she was driving and could save these feelings for when she got home.

“No, Lori, of course, it wasn’t your fault,” she said softly. “You were a baby, you had nothing to do with that.”

“But I-- babies are loud and annoying, what if I cried so much he started to hate me?” Lori asked, and Lena felt her heart break inside her chest.

“Lori, you had nothing to do with what he did. Your father was a terrible person, and there was nothing you could’ve done to change him,” Lena said firmly yet kindly. “You’ve done nothing wrong. He chose to leave, not because you were born, but because he was a bad person.”

Lori sighed. “But he was nice to you,” she retorted.

Lena bit her lip. “Sometimes yes,” she admitted. “But other times he--” she inhaled sharply as she remembered what Lex was like as a teenager. After everything she’d been through, she’d tried to block out all memories of them, but they always found a way to haunt her no matter how hard she tried to box them up.

“He could be mean and cruel to me, even when we were little,” she said through gritted teeth. “I spent so many years terrified I would turn out to be as awful as he was, so I tried extra hard to be good. And I know it’s scary because it’ll feel like you’re going to turn into him, but we both need to remember we are our own people, and we can’t blame ourselves for other peoples actions.”

Lori nodded and began to drum her fingers against her knee anxiously while she bounced the other leg up and down as quickly as she could.

“But he’s my dad, you don’t know I won’t turn out like him.”

Lena nodded. “That’s true, but Lillian is my mother, and am I anything like her?”

Lori shook her head. “No, you’re much better.”

Lena smiled. “Thank you, I’m glad you think that.”

The two spent the rest of the car ride talking about much lighter topics, like finding a new school for Lori. Lena promised she would do some more research with Kara over the weekend and they would start the transfer process by the end of the month.  

They rode the elevator up to the penthouse in comfortable silence. Neither of them spoke until they entered the apartment and Lori noticed the tall woman standing in the living room.

“Holy shit,” she mumbled.

“What did I just hear you say?” Lena exclaimed and spun on her heel to face Lori as soon as she heard the words leave her mouth.

“What is she doing here?” Lori asked, completely ignoring Lena’s shock.

Lena turned around, confused as to what Lori was getting at. But it all made sense when she saw Lillian standing in the middle of her apartment, a demonic smile plastered on her face.

“Well, just the two girls I was looking for,” she said as she walked towards Lena and Lori, her heels clicking loudly with every step she took.

“What are you doing here?” Lena growled.

Lillian folded her arms over her chest and looked Lena up and down.

“You should know by now I don’t give up easily. As I said before, I’m here for her.”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really sorry Kara wasn't in this chapter. Please don't hate me. I just felt like this part was important, but I'm sorry the SuperCorp storyline isn't moving along as quickly as I'm sure you guys would like. If this is getting to be too much of an AU I can change up the outline so it becomes more Kara/Lena centric.  
> Comments and feedback is greatly appreciated :)


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! I'm so sorry it's taken me so long to update this! My mental health has been... questionable lately, but I'm back now.   
> I hope you guys like this chapter :)

Lillian narrowed her eyes and tilted her head so she could look down on Lena. “I’m here to do what should’ve been done a long time ago. I’ve arranged for Lori to start at boarding school on Monday, I have a flight booked for tomorrow and a bed waiting for her in the dormitory. I just need the girl and I’ll be on my way,” she stated. 

Lena stepped in front of Lori, not wanting her to be in the general vicinity of the soon to be argument. 

“I don’t know where you got the idea that you have some sort of power over us, but there is no way Lori is getting on that plane,” Lena glared at her mother. “She’s staying here with me.” 

Lillian scoffed and shook her head. “To do what? Rot away in a public school made for mediocre children who will grow up to live ordinary lives?” 

Lena clenched her hands into fists. “I’ll have you know, I’m having her transferred to a school that specializes in gifted education,” she shot back, though she wasn’t sure why she suddenly felt the need to justify herself to Lillian. 

She shouldn’t get to know about Lori’s whereabouts. She hadn’t earned the right to be concerned about her. She didn’t get to just show up and demand information on Lori’s life. Lena knew this very well, yet she still felt the need to give Lillian the things she wanted. Maybe it was because deep down she still hoped that something she said might make Lillian just a little bit proud of her. 

Lena knew it didn’t matter what she said. It didn’t matter what she did. Lillian would always find a flaw to pick out and throw in Lena’s face. She would never be satisfied. No matter what happened, Lena would always find a way to disappoint her. 

“Why do that when you can have her attend one of the best schools in Europe? You’re wasting her potential and you know it,” Lillian snapped. 

“Because I’m not shipping my daughter halfway across the world so she can go to a school that’ll teach her the same things she’ll learn at any other gifted school in National City,” Lena stated. 

Lillian scoffed and shook her head. “You really think any of the schools here are good enough for her? She is a  _ Luthor _ , and it’s time you started treating her like one.” 

“Really?” Lena questioned, she raised an eyebrow and folded her arms over her chest as she stepped closer to Lillian. “Because I spent seven years in boarding school because you wanted to  _ treat me like a Luthor _ and you still consider me a failure, so I really don’t understand why you think things will be any different for Lori.” 

Lillian smiled cynically at the statement. Her sneer made Lena’s heart pick up its pace, and she quietly told Lori to go to her room. Luckily, Lori instantly obliged and ran away almost immediately. However, the absence of her presence meant Lena was now stranded with her mother. Now that Lori was out of the way, Lillian could do or say whatever she wanted. And Lena knew better than anyone that Lillian wouldn’t hold back. 

“You would’ve turned out to be a washed out underachiever, either way, this has nothing to do with you,” Lillian’s voice was filled with venom. The piercing sound of her words seared through Lena’s body, making her hands shake and her knees weak. Hearing her say it out loud stung so much harder than just knowing Lillian believed Lena was a disappointment. Hearing her actually admit it hurt more than she could’ve ever imagined. 

“I’m  _ not _ an underachiever,” Lena forced out. Her heart was pounding against her chest and she was overcome with a wave of coldness. Goosebumps rose on her arms even though the penthouse was fairly warm. Lena could feel her hands begin to shake as she tried to convince herself Lillian was wrong.

She was a CEO for God's sake. She had renamed L Corp within her first few months as CEO  _ while _ simultaneously fostering a child on her own. She had worked her whole life to become the best, smartest, and most accomplished version of herself. She had strived for greatness ever since she was a child, how could Lillian not see that? 

But then again, here she was, almost thirty years old, still trying to prove herself to her mom as if she were a child. 

“Oh,” Lillian said skeptically. “Then stop half-assing your job as a parent and do what is best for your kid.” 

Lena clenched her jaw to refrain from letting everything she wanted to say out. Because after all, maybe Lillian did have a point. It seemed like no matter what she did, it always seemed to backfire. Maybe she really was the disappointment. 

Lillian easily picked up on Lena’s thoughts. She was second guessing herself again, which made this all so much simpler for her. When Lena showed her vulnerable side involuntarily she was easiest to manipulate. More often then not, Lena let her emotions could her vision. She made decisions based off of how she felt. After all, the only reason she’d taken in Lori in the first place was that she’d felt bad for her.

Getting in her head was almost child's play. Whether it was about Lori or L Corp, there was always a way to get under Lena’s skin and make her panic. 

“I really should be going now, I have business to catch up on. But I hope you’ll make the right decision,” Lillian said with a small nod. “And if you don’t… well, I have my ways.” 

With that, Lillian exited Lena’s apartment. The sound of her heels clicking against the floor echoed in the large room as the scene replayed itself in Lena’s head. 

She stumbled over to the sofa and all but collapsed onto it. Chills filled her body as she repeated Lillian's words in her head over and over again. 

_ You’re a washed up underachiever. A terrible parent. A disappointment. _

Lena brought her hands up to her head and closed her eyes. She couldn’t breathe. She couldn’t think straight. 

The thoughts pressed against her chest, heavier than a cinder block. They wrapped themselves around her body, stealing her ability to move. The words took her ability to scream for help, even though she so desperately wanted to. But even if she did scream, she didn’t have anyone who could help her. 

Her chest began to ache at her painfully fast heartbeat. It was almost like her heart was under water. It was drowning, and she could feel herself going down with it.  But the sound of buzzing pulled her out of the water and brought her back to the surface. 

Lena reached for her phone which sat on the coffee table and looked at who was calling. She let out a shaky breath and wiped her tears in an effort to compose herself. The room was still spinning, and her hands were still shaking, but as long as she could hide that, she might be able to convince herself that she really was okay. She focused on a spot on the wall and plastered on her CEO face, the final touch on making sure it was very clear she was perfectly emotionally stable and not in the middle of an anxiety attack at all. 

It was impressively heartbreaking how quickly Lena could make herself appear to be okay when really she was falling apart inside. It was a trick she’d taught herself as a child and had used many times as an adult. A skill she sadly wasn’t sure if she’d ever get to stop using. 

“Kara, what’s up?” She asked, her voice as cheery as she could make it. 

“I have great news,” Kara said.

Her enthusiasm caused more tears to fill Lena’s eyes, but they also made her smile just slightly. Hearing Kara so happy only made her want to cry even more. It made her yearn for a joy that just seemed so far away, but it also made her feel guilty. So guilty for making Kara’s good day about herself. 

“What is it?”

“I was offered a job at the National City Academy for Gifted Education,” Kara said excitedly. 

“Kara, that’s amazing!” Lena said as a genuine smile spread across her lips. She could feel her mood beginning to pick itself up ever so slightly with every passing second. Her heart still raced a mile a minute, and her head still felt like it was going to explode, but hearing Kara’s voice helped ground her. It reminded her that no matter how terrible she felt, she wasn’t alone in this world. She had friends. Real friends. She had someone other than Lori who sincerely liked her, and that was enough to help her begin to feel better. 

“Are you gonna take it?” Lena asked hopefully. 

“No, but that’s not why I called,” Kara said quickly. “ I think it would be a really great school for Lori, it’s only about fifteen minutes away from your apartment, and it’s an amazing school. I met a few of the teachers, and they all seem really passionate about their jobs. I think she would do really well there.” 

“What-- why aren’t you taking the job?” Lena asked, completely ignoring everything else Kara had said. 

“I love the school I’m at. I love all of the kids, and I’m friends with all of the teachers. Sure, the pay would be a  _ lot _ better there, but I can’t imagine leaving my job, especially now. I have such a great class this year, and I’m not ready to give them up,” Kara explained. 

Lena smiled tearfully and nodded. The way Kara spoke about her job-- it was inspiring to say the least. She cared so much about her students and doing what was best for them. Even if that meant she had to lose them. 

“I get that,” Lena said softly. “I know it’s your decision, but I think you’re making the right choice.” 

She closed her eyes as her breathing began to even out. She imagined Kara smiling on the other end. She imagined standing in front of her and smiling back. Then Kara would take a step forward and-- 

No. She couldn’t let herself think like that. 

She let out a breath and tried to brush the image off. She was upset and vulnerable right now, she was just projecting her emotions onto Kara, right? 

“Anyways, I think you should look into it. I can get you a meeting with the principal if you’d like,” Kara suggested. 

Lena opened her eyes as heat rushed to her cheeks, which she was sure were bring red by now. She needed to stop fantasizing about her friend and just focus on holding the conversation like a normal person. 

“That-- that would be great,” Lena stammered as she attempted to collect her thoughts. “Kara, you know you don’t have to do all this, right?” 

“What are friends for?” Kara asked, and Lena felt her heart rate speed up again. But this time in a good way. 

“If you want, we could meet for coffee tomorrow,” she continued. “We could talk about the school and… I don’t know… catch up I guess.”

Lena nodded with a smile. “Yeah, that would be really nice.” 

She bit her lip and leaned forward as she thought about seeing Kara tomorrow. She had to admit, she was kind of shocked that Kara wanted to see her again. The last time she’d seen her, she’d had a panic attack and completely broken down in front of her. It almost seemed like some sort of miracle that she hadn’t freaked her out enough to leave. Or the fact that Kara was still there at all, even with panic attacks aside.

“You sound surprised,” Kara commented. 

Lena drew in a breath and let out a nervous chuckle. “Yeah… I’ve just been… I don’t know,” she stopped herself and cringed at how awkward she sounded. 

_ Get it together Lena _ , she internally scolded herself.  _ She’s just a girl, just talk to her like a normal person _ . 

“I’m just surprised I haven’t scared you away yet,” Lena admitted. As soon as the words left her mouth she closed her eyes tightly. 

_ Well if you didn’t screw it up before, you surely have now.  _

“You could never scare me away,” Kara said without missing a beat. 

The blush from earlier returned as Lena turned bright red once more. She smiled brightly at the statement, the reassurance she hadn’t known she’d needed until now. Maybe it was the way she’d said it, or maybe it was because it was coming from Kara. But knowing she wouldn’t leave meant more to Lena then she could ever put into words. She couldn’t even completely comprehend it herself, all she knew was her stomach was filled with butterflies, and for once, she felt safe. 

“Thank you,” she said softly, unsure of how to respond properly. “That-- hearing that means a lot.” 

Lena could imagine Kara smiling on the other line, so she smiled back even though she knew she was smiling at nothing. 

“So, I’ll see you tomorrow?” Kara asked. 

“Yeah, tomorrow,” Lena confirmed with a small nod. 

She let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding in and smiled to herself. 

She would see Kara tomorrow, and then maybe everything else would start to work itself out. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm not really sure how I feel about this chapter. It definitely wasn't one of my best, and I apologize for that. I'm not sure if I particularly dislike it though. ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯   
> But I hope you guys liked it and didn't find it too disappointing.   
> Comments and feedback is greatly appreciated :)


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lori and Lena have an important conversation about Lori's birth mother. Lena and Kara also meet for coffee.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! So I wasn't planning on posting this, I actually wasn't planning on writing anything for this fic for at least another week, but it just kind of happened. So I hope you guys like it :)

“Lori, can I talk to you?” Lena asked. She hovered in Lori’s bedroom while Lori sat on her bed flipping through the brand new math book Lena had given her. 

She nodded and closed the book before setting it on her nightstand.

Lena sat down on the bed beside her and gave her a warm smile, which made Lori’s heart race. Lena never seemed this calm and happy. Was she getting ready to give bad news, but trying to sugar coat it? It seemed like the kind of thing she would do. She always tried to make the best out of a bad situation, but sometimes bad situations were just that; bad. 

“After everything that’s been happening with your grandmother, I’ve been thinking,” Lena began. “We need to talk about your mom.”

Lori drew in a breath and nodded slowly. “Why?” She asked quietly.

“We’ve never really talked about her. At first, I wanted to wait for you to come to me, but that never happened, and I feel like it’s really important we have this conversation,” Lena explained. “It’s only fair that you get to ask me any questions you may have or just tell me how you’re feeling in general.” 

“I don’t really feel anything,” Lori said and pursed her lips. 

Lena quirked an eyebrow. “Now I’m sure that’s not true. There must be something on your mind.” 

Lori sighed and shrugged. It had been months since her mom had gotten arrested. And if she was being honest, there were things she wanted to talk about. There were  _ so _ many things she wanted to ask, but she couldn’t say any of those things to Lena. They were too disrespectful, especially after everything Lena had done for her. 

So she kept her feelings bottled up inside and hoped maybe one day they would go away. Because for now, she just wanted to live a life with no problems and no stress. And that wouldn’t be possible if Lena knew all the things she was bursting to say. 

“I’m fine,” Lori said, even though the questions and thoughts pounded against her head like a hammer.

"Did you know I was adopted?" Lena asked, and Lori shook her head. 

"Well, when I was growing up, I was never allowed to talk about my birth mom. And there are still so many questions I have that I wish someone could answer, so if there's anything you want to ask, I want you to know you can talk to me." 

Lori gave a small smile. "Thanks, but I'm okay." 

“Okay, then there’s a few things I need to tell you,” Lena said softly. “You know your mom loves you, right?” 

Lori looked down at her lap. She’d heard that before. It just didn’t feel real no matter who it came from. Sure Lena could try to sugar coat everything she'd been through, but it didn't feel like her mom had ever cared-- even if she did care about her birth mom. 

Lena placed a soothing hand on  Lori’s knee when she picked up on her apprehension. She knew better than anyone what it felt like to grow up with a parent who didn’t love her. She needed Lori to know she was loved. Because she was. She was so  _ so _ loved. 

“Lori, look at me,” Lena’s voice was gentle and calming. It made Lori feel safe and warm. It made her feel like she could trust without being afraid. 

“Your mom loves you,” she said softly. “She loves you  _ so _ much.”

Lori made a displeased face. “You sound so sure,” she commented. 

Lena nodded and smiled sadly. “I am sure.” 

“How?”

Lena drew in a breath and folded her hands in her lap. She’d never talked about this outside of therapy, and doing so with Lori felt simultaneously terrifying and liberating. Her past trauma, as terrible as it was, could now be used to help someone. Lena still wished she’d never had to go through any of the things she’d been through. She knew that feeling would never go away. She’d grown up with a mother who truly had hated her, but she could now use this to help Lori. And that almost made it feel just a little bit better. 

“Because she’s letting you stay with me. She didn’t fight your social worker when you got adopted, she didn’t object to anything. And I know that might feel like she gave up on you,” Lena began, and Lori nodded with a frown. 

“But it’s because she knows this is what’s best for you,” Lena said softly. She drew in a breath and her chest tightened. “She knows you being with me is the best thing for you right now. She wants you to be safe. And I know she’s made a lot of mistakes, and I know she’s hurt you, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t love you.” 

Lori furrowed her brow. “If she loved me why did she hurt me?” 

Lena sighed. “Your mom did a lot of things she shouldn’t have. She had no right to hurt you the way she did,  _ nobody _ has the right to hurt you the way she did, and I’m not going to excuse her actions. But love-- when I say she loves you, I don’t mean that she’s going to take you home and become your mother again.” 

“What do you mean then?” 

“When I say she loves you, I mean she did the right thing by letting you stay with you. She’s letting things get better for you since they might not get better for her. When I say she loves you, I mean she’s putting you first for once,” Lena explained.

Lori’s eyes filled with tears at Lena’s words. She could tell her aunt really cared, and she truly believed her mom loved her. She wasn’t sure how to put it into words, but it meant the world to her. 

“I grew up with a mother who didn’t love me, I know how it feels, and I know how much it hurts,” Lena confessed and smiled through the tears that were filling her eyes. “I know how hard it is. Which is why you need to believe me when I say you are loved, Lori. You are  _ so _ loved.” 

Lori averted Lena’s gaze and began to chew on her bottom lip. She didn’t understand why Lena was saying these things. She wasn’t sure why she cared so much, it was hard for her to comprehend why Lena seemed to like her so much. But Lena did care, despite how little sense it made. 

She looked back up at her, guilt pooling inside her stomach. 

“Is it okay that I still love her too?” Lori asked, her voice small and meek. 

After everything Lena had said, she was sure to be mad now. She cared more than anyone ever had about Lori, and yet deep down, Lori still loved her mom. 

Lena smiled and nodded. “Of course it is.” 

Lori bowed her head shamefully. 

“There is enough love to go around,” Lena said with a light laugh. “I won’t be mad if you still love her-- I won’t even be mad if you decide you love her more than you love me, because she will always be your mother if you want her to be. And I’m sure she would be really happy to know how well you’re doing living with me.” 

Lori looked up at Lena and grinned. “I do love living with you,” she said softly. 

Lena smiled. “I’m really glad you do.” 

“Now, is there anything else you want to ask me?” 

Lori shook her head. 

“Okay, but you’ll talk to me if you have any questions?” Lena asked as she stood up, and Lori nodded with a grin. 

“Good,” Lena smiled. “Now, I’m meeting a friend for coffee so Sam and Ruby will be over in a little bit.” 

Shortly later, Lena was sitting across from Kara in a small corner at Noonans. 

Upon seeing Kara, Lena’s breath was taken away. The only time she’d ever seen her out of work attire was the time was when she’d come over in the middle of the night in her pajamas. Now, she was seeing the real Kara, the Kara who wasn’t surrounded by swarms of children and could let herself be just that-- herself. The minute she saw her, Lena had forgotten all about the fact that they were here to talk about Lori. Luckily for her, Kara had forgotten too. 

“I’ve missed you,” Kara said with a smile as Lena sat down across from her. 

“I’ve missed you too,” Lena replied and hoped Kara didn’t notice her blush. 

“We really need to start seeing each other outside of school.” 

Lena nodded and gave a small chuckle. “Yes-- I need someone to start hanging out with other than Lori.” 

Kara laughed and ran her hand through her hair. The small gesture made Lena’s breath catch in her throat. All she could hope was that Kara wouldn’t notice how flustered she was. 

“I’m sure she loves having you around though,” Kara commented. 

“She does-- and I love staying home with her, but I’m starting to think I need some friends my own age,” Lena admitted. 

“Well, I’ve been meaning to ask you, I’m having a game night on Friday with my sister and some friends, you should come. You could be with some people over ten for once, ” Kara suggested with a chuckle. “But of course you could bring Lori.” 

Lena nodded with a smile. “I’d love to, I’m sure she would too.”

“I’m gonna miss you guys when Lori goes off to her new school,” Kara admitted. 

Lena sighed. If she was being honest, hearing Kara say that did feel nice. She’d never really had anyone miss her before, and hearing this meant Kara really was her friend. 

“I’m gonna miss you too,” Lena said softly. “We’re just going to have to start seeing each other more often.” 

Kara nodded. “Definitely. I’ll miss seeing you guys every day.” 

“Well, I guess I’ll have to re-arrange my schedule so I can start making time for you,” Lena joked. Though she knew at some point she would probably ask her assistant to work out her schedule so she would have time to see Kara. 

Kara laughed and shook her head. “You don’t need to do all that for me.” 

“But I-- I really should thank you,” Lena said with a warm smile. “You’ve done so much for Lori and me, and it-- it means the world to us.” 

Kara blushed and shook her head. “What are friends for?” 

_ Right. Friends, _ Lena thought to herself.  _ Just friends. _

She bit her lip and averted Kara’s gaze. She couldn’t give herself away. Not now not ever. Kara would never feel the same, and she couldn’t afford to lose possibly her only friend. Kara meant too much to her, she couldn’t risk screwing up their friendship. 

“You know… I’ve never had friends like you before,” Lena admitted and looked back up at Kara. 

“What do you mean?” Kara asked. 

Lena shrugged and let out a light chuckle. “You just seem to really care,” she explained. 

Kara gave a confused smile and looked at Lena as if what she was saying was obvious. “Of course I care,” she said softly. 

“Would you like to come over tomorrow?” Lena blurted out. She wasn’t sure where the urge to invite Kara over had come from, but now she was talking and she couldn’t seem to stop herself. 

“To-- to have dinner with Lori and I,” she clarified, though she wasn’t quite sure why she was inviting Kara over in the first place.

“Oh-- I would, but I have a date-- I’m really sorry,” Kara said apologetically. 

Lena held her breath. The words hit like daggers. Kara had a date. 

She knew it was such a stupid thing to be upset over. She would’ve never had a chance with her either way, but hearing Kara casually mention going on a date was like a slap in the face. It was a cruel wake-up call that she would never have the one person she really wanted. 

“It’s fine,” Lena said softly and plastered on a smile. 

Kara didn’t like her, and it was time she accepted that. The sooner she did that, the easier it would be to maintain their friendship. Because that was all they would ever be. Friends. 

Just friends. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm going to be taking a slight break from this fic-- I'm not sure for how long. I'm really sorry, but it's probably for the best. My anxiety has been really bad lately, and unless I don't want to stop having four panic attacks a week, I probably shouldn't be writing every day. So I'm going to take a break until everything gets better. I'm really sorry but I'll try to be back soon :)


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lena and Lori go to game night with Kara, Alex, and Maggie. Alex and Maggie tease Kara relentlessly for her crush on Lena.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember when I said I was gonna take a break? Yeah, well it turns out I don't know how to do that. I don't think I'm going to end up taking one, I might just start ending updating super inconsistently, so I'm really sorry about that.  
> But here's another chapter!

“Okay, Lena is going to be here in like five minutes, Alex-- remember no cursing, she’s bringing a kid,” Kara instructed as she set down multiple games on the living room coffee table. 

“What the fuck Kara, I  _ never _ curse,” Alex joked, and Kara shot her a glare. 

“Seriously Alex, she’s my friend, I will kick you out,” Kara said, and Alex could tell she was being completely serious. 

So she let out a laugh and raised her hands in defense. “Alright, I won’t embarrass you in front of your girlfriend,” she said with a chuckle. 

Kara rolled her eyes and shook her head at her sister. Lena meant a lot to her, and she wouldn’t have her childish and inappropriate sister humiliate her in front of Lena and her daughter. 

“Kara has a girlfriend? Is it Lena?” Maggie, asked as she wandered into the living room. “Damn, I was gone for two minutes, you work fast little Danvers.”

Kara groaned. All she wanted was to get through the night with minimal teasing and taunting, but clearly, that wasn’t going to happen.

If she was being honest, maybe there was a slim, itty-bitty, tiny chance that she might’ve still had the slightest crush on Lena, but that’s all it was. A crush. They weren’t real feelings, it was just lust, she knew that. She just wished Maggie and Alex would realize this too. 

“What happened to that Mon-El guy you went out with? Have you already moved on?” Maggie teased and flopped down on the couch. 

“Yeah-- what about Mon-El, are you gonna go out with him again?” Alex asked. She sat down beside Maggie and draped her arm over her girlfriend's shoulder lovingly.

“Or have you finally realized you’re hopelessly in love with Lena and nobody will ever compare?” Maggie added. 

“First of all, I don’t love Lena,” Kara said defensively. “I don’t think I’m gonna see him again. He was super self-absorbed, all he talked about was himself,” she said with a scowl. “I mean…  I guess he was  _ kind of _ handsome, but he was just-- I don’t know-- average.” 

“Why did you go out with him in the first place then?” Alex asked. 

Kara sighed. “He said he had a cat,” she admitted, keeping her voice low in hopes Alex and Maggie wouldn’t hear her confession. 

But the two burst out into a fit of laughter. Kara sighed and shook her head, not even bothering to tell them to stop because she knew they wouldn’t. 

Luckily, she was able to excuse herself when she heard a knock on her door. She opened it to see Lena standing in front of her, with Lori at her side holding onto her hand tightly. 

Lena smiled brightly at Kara and gave her a quick hug. When she pulled away, Kara looked down at Lori who was looking over at Alex and Maggie with wide eyes. She cautiously stepped behind Lena looked up at Kara nervously. 

“Why don’t you guys come in,” Kara offered with a smile and stepped aside. 

Lena and Lori made their way into the living room. Lena smiled and politely introduced herself and Lori before hesitantly taking a seat on the couch next to Maggie. Alex had already gotten up and was leaning over to Kara so could whisper something in her ear. 

“Now she is above average,” she said with a giggle. “I can see why you love her so much.” 

Kara’s eyes widened and her cheeks turned bright red at the statement. She had to refrain from yelling at her sister, who had run back over to Maggie. The two were laughing together about something Lena and Lori couldn’t quite figure out, but Kara was sure they were making childish jokes about Lena and Kara as a couple. 

Kara quickly opened up Monopoly in hopes of her sister and her girlfriend finding some sort of distraction.

“Okay, lets play!” She said, her voice full of fake enthusiasm. 

“I think your friend has an unfair advantage,” Maggie commented and gestured to Lena. 

“What do you mean?” Kara asked. 

“She’s a CEO,” Alex stated the obvious. 

Lena let out a nervous chuckle. “It’s alright, I’ve never played Monopoly before,” she admitted, her voice soft and shy. 

“You haven’t?” Alex exclaimed. 

Lena bit her lip and nodded hesitantly. “Yeah… we didn’t have many board games in the house when I was growing up,” she said quietly. 

The real reason was that her mother had bred her into the chess prodigy she was and discouraged any juvenile board games such as Monopoly. Lillian once found a toys-r-us catalog Lena had found at school under her bed. She yelled at seven-year-old Lena until she lost her voice then slapped her across the face so Lena knew  _ never _ to indulge herself in such childish things again. But Lena didn’t want to unpack all that down, so she went with a simple white lie. 

“It’s okay, I’m sure you’ll be great,” Kara said with a grin. 

Lena smiled at Kara and her eyes sparkled just slightly. The looks they exchanged didn’t go unnoticed by Alex and Maggie, who were poking each other and mouthing short phrases about how in love they were. 

Lori, who seemed to be the only one not pining over someone else, silently opened up the game and began arranging the pieces. She had never played either, so as soon as the others noticed what she was doing, Kara immediately began to help her. 

The game went on for much longer than expected. Surprisingly, Lena was terrible and the first one to go bankrupt. She huffed and crossed her arms over her chest in defeat. 

“I’m a CEO dammit,” she mumbled as she watched her daughter, who was beating everyone despite never playing before. 

Eventually, Kara and Maggie both went bankrupt and it was just Lori and Alex left. Alex brought out a competitive side in Lori that neither Lena nor Kara had ever seen. Her eagerness to win only made Alex more ambitious than she already was, which lead to Kara having to remind her multiple times not to curse in front of Lori. 

Due to the intensity of the game, Lena and Kara engaged in their own conversation, completely ignoring their family. They only got pulled back into the scheme of things once the game was over. 

Lori ended up beating Alex, much to everyone else's surprise. When she realized she had won, she jumped up and down in excitement and giggled at Alex, who was getting a sympathy kiss from Maggie. 

Once the excitement had died down, Lena noticed Lori was starting to look tired, so decided it would be best if they went back to their apartment early. Lena couldn’t be sure why Lori seemed so tired, but she assumed it was due to all the socializing. Lori wasn’t used to hanging out with people other than Lena and Kara, so meeting Alex and Maggie must’ve been a big change for her. 

But Lena had to admit, she was very proud of Lori. She hated meeting new people, but she handled herself very well. Perhaps it wasn’t something most parents would’ve cared so much about, but to Lena it meant everything. It meant Lori was finally starting to get comfortable around people other than her mom, which for her was huge.

Lori stayed silent until they got back to their penthouse and Lena was tucking her into bed. 

“Mom?” She asked. 

“What is it, love?” 

“How come Alex had her arm around Maggie and they were hugging a lot and they kissed when they thought I wasn’t looking?” Lori asked. 

Lena drew in a breath and held it. Considering Lori’s lack of exposure to the outside world before she’d moved in with Lena, maybe she shouldn’t have been surprised to find out Lori had no concept of what gay was, or even what dating was. 

“They’re in love,” Lena said softly. She smiled and brushed a stray hair out of Lori’s face. “I was talking to Alex, and she said they’re getting married soon.” 

Lori smiled. “That’s nice.”

Lena nodded. “Yeah, it’s really great isn’t it?” 

Lori nodded with a grin. 

“Lori…” Lena braced herself for the response she would get for the questions she was going to ask. She knew they would have to have this conversation at some point, and it seemed rather fitting to do it now, even if it was going to be incredibly uncomfortable on Lena’s part. 

“How would you feel if I started dating again?” 

Lori hesitated. She didn’t want someone to take Lena away from her, though she knew that was a selfish thought to have. She also didn’t want Lena to end up with someone who would hurt either of them. The various men her birth mom had brought home when she was growing were always cruel and aggressive towards her mother. And if she ever tried to intervene, they took their anger out on her. Lori wasn’t sure if she’d be able to go through the same thing with Lena again. 

But then again, if Lena was in love with the person Lori suspected she was, maybe things wouldn’t be so terrible. If Lena was falling for the person she had in the back of her mind, she wouldn’t hate that at all. In fact, it might’ve been kind of nice. 

“Are you dating?” Lori asked to avoid answering Lena’s initial question. 

“No,” Lena dragged out the word. “But one day I might.”  

“Are you in love with someone?”  Lori asked hesitantly. Part of her did want the answer to be yes, but only if it was with the person she thought it was. 

Lena smiled and shook her head. “No,” she said with a soft chuckle. 

Lori sighed. “Not even Miss. Danvers?” She asked, she almost seemed disappointed. 

“Lori-- what-- how did you-- where would you get the idea that I’m in love with Miss. Danvers?”  Lena asked, her voice full of surprise. 

Lori shrugged innocently. “Becuase you said Maggie and Alex were hugging and sitting close to each other and being  _ really  _ nice because they’re in love. And that’s how you act with her.” 

“That-- we’re just-- we’re friends,” Lena stammered. 

Lori raised an eyebrow just like Lena did when she knew she was lying about something.  

“Miss. Danvers and I are just friends,” Lena said defensively.

“But you  _ act _ like you’re in love,” Lori argued and leaned forward so Lena would get her point. 

“Lori, Miss. Danvers and I are  _ not _ in love,”  Lena said firmly, though she knew Lori could see right through her. She thought she’d been able to somewhat hide her feelings during game night, but clearly, she was wrong. It just didn’t make sense. How was it possible her ten-year-old was able to see the way she felt for Kara? Was it really that obvious? 

“You’re in  _ love,” _ Lori teased in a sing-songy voice. 

“You know what, I think it’s time for you to go to bed,” Lena said and stood up. 

She turned off Lori’s bedroom light and watched her daughter lie down. 

“I’m not in love,” she added quickly just so she would really get her point across before leaving Lori’s room. 

It was just a little crush. She  _ totally _ wasn’t in love with Kara. Right? 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, I actually kinda wrote fluff for once, I hope you guys liked it.  
> Also, if anyone ever wants to talk to me about writing, my fics, your own fics, or just life, in general, my Tumblr is @GodHatesOliviaa I love talking to you guys so don't be afraid to hmu!   
> Comments and feedback is greatly appreciated :)


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lena finds out huge news regarding Lillian, which triggers memories of her childhood and early times with the Luthor's.  
> Trigger Warning- mentions of child abuse

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this chapter is kind of different. I've never written anything like this before, and I'm really nervous about posting it. I hope you guys don't hate it.  
> Trigger Warning- mentions of child abuse

“Mom,” Lori threw open Lena’s bedroom door and ran towards her. “Come, you have to see this.”

Lena sighed and looked up from her laptop. She was sitting on her bed trying to get some work done before the weekend ended. She should’ve been done by now, but she had gotten distracted by texting animal memes back and forth with Kara. In her defense, her phone hadn’t been set to _do not disturb_ mode and it was just too hard to resist conversing with Kara about absolutely nothing.

While Lena procrastinated her work, Lori was supposed to be doing problems out of her trigonometry book in the living room, but clearly, now she was distracted.

“Lori, I’m working, can you show me later?” She asked. She felt bad about dismissing Lori. She knew it was the kind of thing her mother would’ve done to her, but if Lena didn’t finish this proposal now, she wouldn’t be able to sleep for the next three days. So she just needed to get it done and then she could relax with her daughter like she wanted to.

Lori ignored her and pulled on the sleeve of her t-shirt. “You have to come _now,”_ she insisted.

“Lori, just give me a minute,” Lena said firmly with a tone that should’ve told Lori to stop.

But for once, Lori wasn’t listening.

“Now,” Lori repeated, her voice was louder and there was desperation in her eyes.

Lena knew there was no way out of this, so she reluctantly stood up and followed the little girl into the living room. She could lecture Lori on her misbehavior later, for now, she just wanted to get whatever was going on over with.

“Look,” Lori pointed up at the television screen.

Lena sighed and looked up. And everything went silent. She pulled free from Lori’s grip, her hand bounced against her leg in slow motion. She watched the images on the screen, and suddenly she was drowning.

She could make out the words _Lillian Luthor_ and _arrested_ , but nothing else. She saw her mothers face. The navy blue jumpsuit that belonged to prisoners like her brother and Lori’s birth mom.

For just a second, Lillian turned to face the camera, and her piercing blue eyes shot through Lena’s soul one last time. Just as terrifying and painful as the first time she’d ever met Lillian.

She could feel a hand brushing against her own. Lori’s.

Lena closed her eyes and drew in a breath. It was all coming back. The coldness that had surrounded her throughout the entire trip. The anxiety that had been accompanied by getting on a plane for the first time and meeting a new family. It was all rushing back to her, and there was no way to stop it.

 

_“You see that?”_

_“Yeah.”_

_“That’s an airplane, we're going to ride it.”_

_“Where are we going?”_

_“You’re going to meet your new mommy and daddy.”_

Lena opened her eyes once more and gasped for air. This wasn’t real. This couldn’t be real.

“Mom, are you okay?” It was Lori’s voice.

Lena managed a nod. But she couldn’t be sure what she was feeling. She knew she wasn’t okay, but that was all. Should she have been happy? Lillian had been nothing but cruel to her throughout Lena’s entire life. Every time Lena had begun to build herself back up, Lillian ripped her to shreds, destroying any miniscule of self-love and care Lena had been able to give herself. She’d screamed at her until Lena could no longer hear the words, all she could see was the anger radiating off the woman she was supposed to call her mother.

 

_She’d clutched the teddy bear close to her chest in hopes it would offer her some sort of comfort. She was supposed to be meeting her new family, they were supposed to love her and take care of her. She was supposed to be happy, but all she could feel was fear._

 

Lillian had done everything in her power to make Lena miserable. From the moment she’d arrived at the Luthor manor, she’d been nothing but cruel. So why couldn’t Lena bring herself to be happy?

 

_She was met with a woman much taller than she was. She looked down at Lena as if she were a rodent. She smiled, but it seemed wrong. But Lena forced herself to smile back._

 

This was the woman who was ready to kidnap Lori simply because Lena had sent her to a public school. Lena shouldn't have felt guilty, she shouldn’t have felt bad. She should’ve been celebrating.

 

_The first night was nothing short of terrifying. The new house was big and empty. The floorboards creaked when she walked, and she constantly felt like someone was watching her. She wanted her mom. Not this new woman who was supposed to be taking care of her, she wanted her real mom._

 

She was finally safe. She wouldn’t have to fear for being kicked in the stomach if Lillian were displeased. She wouldn’t have to hold her breath every time she opened her penthouse door and brace herself for her mother's presence. She wouldn’t have to run to Lori’s room in the middle of the night to make sure she was still there, and cry tears of relief when she saw her daughter was alright.

 

_She hid under her covers, hugging her teddy bear as tightly as she could. She wanted her mom to hold her and tell her it would all be okay. But she was all alone, being held captive on an island full of strangers. This time, she couldn’t seek her mother's comfort._

 

Lena balled her hands into fists. She dug her nails into her skin, she didn’t even stop when she felt her fingertips become wet with blood. She needed to stop it. She shouldn't have been so upset over this. There was absolutely no reason for her to be crying like a baby, and yet here she was.

 

_So she did the next best thing. The crept out of bed and walked slowly down the long, ominous hallways of the Luthor manor in search of the woman who was supposed to be her ‘new’ mom. When she reached the end of the hallway, she stood on her tip toes and reached for the doorknob, turning it slowly and carefully. The door opened with a creak and she held her breath as she stepped inside._

 

Lena stumbled backward and somehow managed to make her way to the sofa. She gripped the armrest as tightly as she could as tears began to burn in her eyes. A lump was rising painfully in her throat along with a sob that threatened to escape. She gasped for air, but her chest tightened and rejected the oxygen around her. And once again, she was stranded on an island, all alone.

 

_“Lena, what do you want?”_

_Before she could respond, her new mother had gripped her arm tightly and pulled her into the hallway. She released her hold as she all but threw Lena away from her._

_“I-- I'm scared,” Lena forced out, her voice was barely audible. She held her teddy bear closer to her and willed herself not to cry. This woman was so tall, so powerful, but most of all so frightening._

 

“Are you okay?”

Lena turned and saw Lori sitting next to her. She cautiously placed a hand on Lena’s knee, and Lena forced a shaky smile. The room was spinning, the world around her had become a blur. The only thing she could see clearly was her daughter's face. But it was enough to keep her grounded.

 

_“Well, what the hell do you want me to do about that?” She snapped._

_Lena jumped backward and let out a whimper. She wanted her mom. She wanted to go home. She wanted to go back to Ireland. She wanted to go back to that day on the lake and save her mother._

 

She pulled Lori into a hug, and Lori instantly melted against her. She held onto Lori tightly, rubbing circles on the little girls back and running her hands through her hair, making sure she was really there.

If it were Lori who was upset, she knew exactly what she would’ve told her. She would’ve told her not to feel guilty because she hadn’t done anything wrong. She would tell her it’s okay to be upset, as long as she remembered this wasn’t her fault. She would say it would all be okay, it would just take some time. And then she would tell her she shouldn’t feel bad about being upset because she had every right to be mad at the people who hurt her.

 

_“I--” she couldn’t bring herself to say anything else. So instead, she looked down at the ground and began to cry._

_Her new mother scoffed and shook her head. She tore the teddy bear away from Lena, who looked up at her with wide, helpless eyes._

_“No!” She sobbed. She reached her little arms as high as she could, but this woman was too tall._

_“Now stop crying and go back to your room,” she shouted._

 

“I’m okay, we’re okay,” Lena breathed. She closed her eyes and allowed the tears to fall. Lillian was gone. She was okay.

She just had to tell herself exactly what she would tell Lori, and soon enough everything would start to feel better.

 

_The sound was so big and so loud that Lena stopped crying completely. She was too scared to let out even the smallest whimper. For, she’d never been yelled at before. She’d never had a toy taken away. She’d never known anything other than the comfort of her mothers warm and loving arms._

_She wanted to run. She wanted to get as far away as she could from this evil woman and this horrible house. But it was like her feet were glued to the ground. She was too scared to move. Her legs quivered and her knees shook, begging her to run, but Lena couldn’t bring herself to move an inch._

_“Now,” the woman growled. And this time, Lena really did run. She sprinted down the hall as fast as her tiny legs would carry her, not even bothering to ask for her teddy bear back._

_Once she was safely inside her room, she hid back under the covers and began to sob freely. She cried so much for so long she wasn’t sure if she’d ever stop._

 

Eventually, Lena loosened her grip on Lori, who gradually began to pull away from the hug. She let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding in and smiled at Lori when she noticed how frightened she looked.

“It’s okay, you don’t need to worry, I’m okay,” Lena reassured and Lori nodded anxiously. She wiped her eyes, which were now filled with tears and leaned back into Lena.

“Please don’t be mad,” she cried quietly.

“Why would I be mad?”

“Because I-- I showed you a- and you-- you got upset,” Lori explained, her voice broke and she hid her face in Lena’s shirt.

“No, Lori this isn’t your fault,” Lena said softly. She rested her head on top of Lori’s and took a deep breath. “It’s-- this is a good thing.”

Lori looked up at Lena, her face full of confusion. “How?”

“We don’t have to worry about you being taken away anymore,” Lena said with a smile.

Lori beamed right back. “Really?” She asked, her voice perking up completely.

Lena nodded tearfully. “Yeah, we’re free,” she said and chuckled lightly.

She bit her lip and looked down at her lap. All those years living in fear could finally be put behind her. Lillian was gone. She no longer had any control over Lena or Lori. She had no say in where Lori went to school. She could no longer manipulate and abuse Lena the way she had for over twenty years. She was gone, and Lena would never have to worry about her again.

“I’m finally free.” Lena breathed. And she was. For the first time in her life, she was free.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and feedback is greatly appreciated :)


	22. Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara spontaneously drops by at Lena's apartment to make sure she's okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so excited about this chapter. Originally it was just going to be filler, but like it's kinda not terrible? I hope you guys like it because I'm so happy/nervous to post this!

“Kara-- what are you doing here?” Lena asked as she opened the door to see her friend standing in front of her holding two bags of Chinese take out. 

“I heard about your mom being arrested,” Kara explained. 

Lena sighed and shifted her weight. That was the last thing she wanted to talk about with Kara, or with anyone for that matter. She wanted to finally put Lillian behind her and move on with her life. But so far, that wasn’t working out too well. 

At her last therapy session, she’d rambled for almost an entire hour about what Lillian had put her through. She’d barely even scratched the surface of the abuse she’d endured, but once she’d started talking she just couldn’t stop. One panic attack and many tears later, Lena began to realize she wasn’t doing as good of a job of moving on as she would’ve liked. 

“Yeah… that happened,” Lena mumbled, unsure of what else to say. 

Kara rocked back and forth on her heels awkwardly. “I just wanted to make sure you were okay.” 

Lena bit her lip and allowed herself to meet Kara’s gaze. “That’s really nice of you,” she said softly, unsure of how else to react. She could feel butterflies swarming together in her stomach at Kara’s kind gesture. She was just so-- so perfect, and Lena wasn’t sure how to react. 

“So, are you? Are you okay?” Kara asked, her voice full of concern. 

Lena gave a genuine smile and nodded. “Yeah, I’m keeping it together.” 

“You know you can always call me if things get hard, or if you need someone to talk to.” 

A crinkle appeared between Kara’s eyes, just as it always did when she was worried about someone she loved. 

“Yeah,” Lena breathed. “I’m really grateful.” 

“I also brought food,” Kara happily stated the obvious as she handed Lena the bag of Chinese take out. “I’ve never really been in this kind of situation, but I’m assuming it’s pretty hard and you probably don’t want to cook.” 

Lena smiled and graciously accepted the bag. “I really do appreciate it, but you really didn’t have to do all this.” 

Kara grinned and shrugged it off as if it were nothing. “It’s what friends do.” 

“Oh-- would you like to come in?” Lena offered once it fully sunk it in that Kara had really come all this way to make sure she was okay. She was so selfless and caring. Lena wasn’t sure what she’d ever done to deserve someone as amazing as Kara, but she was so glad she’d found her.

“I don’t want to intrude.” 

“It’s no problem, Lori’s with her friend Ruby,” Lena said. She stepped aside and Kara hesitantly walked inside. 

Lena guided her into the living room and began arranging cartons of potstickers, noodles and various other dishes on the coffee table. She chuckled when she realized her table was covered in food, and the bags Kara had brought weren’t even empty yet. 

“Kara you-- this is-- this is amazing,” Lena stammered.  _ “You _ are amazing.” 

Kara blushed and bowed her head.  _ No, you’re amazing Lena, _ she wanted to say. But she didn’t want to sound creepy or expose her feelings. So she simply smiled and thanked her friend and hoped Lena couldn’t tell how much the statement meant to her. 

She could only imagine if Alex were watching it all unfold. She would probably be doubled over in laughter by now. The worst part of this was that Kara couldn’t even blame her. She knew she was probably making a fool of herself in front of Lena, but she didn’t care. She just wanted to be there for her, and if that meant she embarrassed herself than so be it. 

“I think you brought enough to feed us for the next week,” Lena said with a laugh. 

Kara bashfully averted Lena’s gaze. “Yeah… I’m sorry-- I wasn’t sure what you liked so I kinda just bought everything.” 

Lena giggled, the noise startling Kara, to say the least. She’d never heard Lena Luthor, CEO of one of the worlds largest companies, a woman who many people feared,  _ giggle. _ If she were being honest, she hadn’t even thought Lena was capable of doing so. 

“Don’t apologize,”  Lena said with another laugh. Kara looked up and saw Lena smiling brightly, her cheeks flushed pink. She almost seemed flustered. 

“It’s exactly what I would’ve done,” she admitted. 

“Really?” Kara asked, to which Lena nodded. 

“But you seem so-- I don’t know-- so sure about everything. Like you just kind of know everything,” Kara stammered and reached for a carton of potstickers. 

Lena smiled and shook her head. “When I found out Lori was moving in, I kind of panicked and almost bought out an entire IKEA,” she admitted. 

“I was just so nervous, it seemed reasonable at the time,” Lena said and laughed at the memory. 

She bit her lip and thought back to when Lori first moved in. It felt like years ago she’d met her. It didn’t even feel like she was talking about the same person. Lori had been so scared and broken. She’d come covered in scrapes, wearing clothes that were two sizes too big, shoes that were at least a size too small, and smelling like cigarettes. The Lori she had met was a completely different person. She was unrecognizable in comparison to the Lori Lena had grown to love. 

But thinking about the girl used Lori used to be was not how Lena wanted to spend her day. Every time she had a vision of the poor, broken child she’d taken, she wanted to cry. And she couldn’t do that in front of Kara. 

“So, how was your date? We never got a chance to talk about it,” Lena prompted. 

Kara made a disgusted face and chuckled nervously. “It could’ve been better,” she began. “I don’t think we’ll be going out again.” 

Lena bit the inside of her mouth to keep from smiling. “Why not?” She asked, hoping Kara wouldn’t pick up on the excitement she was doing a terrible job of hiding. 

Kara shrugged. “The entire time I was thinking about someone else,” she explained. “Well-- not really thinking about someone else… just… comparing him I guess.” 

“What do you mean?” Lena asked and quirked an eyebrow. 

“Well, all I could think was  _ what if I were here with this other person? Would they have said that? Would they have acted this way?” _ Kara sighed and began to fidget with her glasses. “I guess I should've known I didn’t really like him.”

Lena nodded solemnly. She’d known Kara didn’t like her,  this wasn’t new information. But it still stung every time she heard Kara talk about the people she did like. 

“This other person must be really great,” Lena said, though it pained her to admit. If someone made Kara feel this way, they must’ve been pretty special. 

Kara nodded with a smile that seemed almost sad. “Yeah, she’s incredible,” Kara said softly. 

Lena bit her lip, her chest tightened at the word  _ she. _ She knew there was no way Kara was talking about her, but if she could let her mind wander for just a second, she could almost see it clearly. But then she would have to stop herself and snap back to reality. Even if Kara did like her, she deserved someone better. 

“Why don’t you tell her how you feel?” 

Kara shrugged and sighed. “I don’t want to ruin our friendship. She’s really great, which is why I don’t want to risk losing her.” 

Lena nodded. She understood that feeling better than anyone. She didn’t care if she never got to come forward about her feelings, as long as she got to keep Kara in her life. Sure, it was a selfish thing to think. But she couldn’t bear losing Kara, she was her only real friend. She meant more than Lena could put into words, and pushing down her feelings was what it took to stay friends, then so be it. Because she would much rather live in the pain of wondering what could’ve been than live a life without Kara.

“I get that,” Lena said with a sympathetic smile. “But if she’s as great as you say she is, I’m sure she feels the same way. She’d be insane not to.” 

Kara blushed and looked down at her lap. “Yeah… well, I wouldn’t be so sure.”

“Why not?” Lena asked. 

Kara exhaled and bowed her head. How could she tell Lena she was the one who had been keeping her up at night, completely engulfed in a fantasy world she’d created where they were a couple? She couldn’t tell her she’d already planned their first date to perfection but knew she’d never get to her plan because someone as incredible as Lena would never love someone like Kara. But Kara was falling and falling hard at that. 

“Any girl would be lucky to have you,” Lena said, and Kara could tell she really believed what she was saying. 

Kara’s heart rate shot through the roof as she leaned forward, ready for the moment that could either destroy their friendship completely or start something new and beautiful. 

Before she knew it, she’d cupped Lena’s cheeks in her hands. And just like that, their lips had met. They joined together as one, excitement and wonder erupting in both of them. All of their fears and worries were gone. There was no more fear for what the future held because at that moment they could just be together. And that was enough, and it was perfect. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It happened! It finally happened!   
> I hope you guys liked their first kiss as much as I do. I'm super nervous about posting about this because I don't want to mess up such an important moment. But I really hope you guys liked it, and I'm so glad it finally happened!  
> Comments and feedback is greatly appreciated :)


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara and Lena sort out their feelings after the kiss.   
> Or-- my somewhat failed attempt at writing fluff.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter might be really terrible. I wanted to write fluff, but I'm super out of practice so I'm not sure if it's any good. It's also really short and I'm sorry about that, but I didn't want to extend it and make it boring. So I hope it isn't too bad.

 

Lena slowly pulled away and looked at Kara with wide eyes full of shock. Kara’s hand still cupped her cheek, and Lena’s hand rested on Kara’s thigh. She drew in a breath and tried to resist the comically large grin that was bound to spread across her lips any second now. 

It had happened, it had really  _ finally _ happened. Her and Kara had kissed. 

But more than that-- Kara had been the one to kiss her. Perfect, beautiful, funny, amazing Kara had been the one to make the first move, which meant she wanted Lena just as much as Lena wanted her. It was a completely unbelievable concept, Kara was so wonderful, it seemed almost impossible she could fall for someone like Lena. And yet here they were. Both of them internally freaking out over what had just happened.

However, just as soon as the moment began, it was over. Kara had nervously pulled away from Lena and had begun to fidget with her fingers. It seemed like she was already regretting her decision. Lena sighed and bit her lip anxiously. She knew this was inevitable. Kara didn’t really like her. She never would. She mentally scolded herself for being so ridiculous. Of course, Kara didn’t feel the same way. It was too good to be true, and she knew this. But she couldn’t help but feel incredibly let down when Kara yanked herself away from Lena as if she were toxic. It just made the rejection so much more real. 

“I-- I’m sorry-- I-- I shouldn’t have-- I’m so sorry,” Kara stammered. She impulsively ran her hand through her hair and bit her lip anxiously. 

She’d really fucked up now. Who kisses their best friend like that? Lena must’ve thought she was absolutely insane. 

“I mean-- it’s not that I don’t  _ really  _ like you-- fuck I probably shouldn’t have said that,” Kara chuckled nervously. “What I mean is I-- I shouldn't have done that-- not without knowing if you like me. I obviously know you probably don’t feel the same way, I mean you’re  _ you _ and I’m me, but I-- I don’t know I guess I just got kinda caught up in the moment-- and I’m really sorry. I just-- please don’t hate me,” she rambled. The last bit was practically a weak plea, which completely melted Lena’s heart. 

“So you… you like me?” Lena asked softly. 

Kara blushed bright red and bowed her head. She never thought they’d have this conversation. If she was being honest, she’d hoped she would never have to confront Lena about her feelings because she knew it would only result in a conflict between the two. But there was no turning back now. She was in way too deep. 

“Yes,” she admitted bashfully. Her voice was small and full of fear. 

She wasn’t sure what she would do if Lena rejected her. Sure she’d be able to survive without dating her. She would be okay repressing her feelings and respecting Lena’s wishes to stay nothing more than friends. But she wouldn’t be able to bear it if Lena wanted to stop being her friend over this. 

Lena was becoming her best friend. She was the person she knew she could call in the middle of the night if she’d had a bad dream, or if she couldn’t fall asleep and needed someone to talk to. She was the only person Kara could think of who would sit through a game night with her annoying older sister and Maggie. Lena was who she trusted more than anyone with the exception of Alex. She was her person, and Kara couldn’t fathom losing their friendship over one silly kiss. 

“Please say something,” Kara said with an awkward laugh. 

Lena held her breath as she met Kara’s eyes. “You… you like me?” She repeated, and Kara nodded. 

Lena ducked her head in hopes Kara wouldn’t notice her blush. This wasn’t real, it couldn’t be. 

Lena couldn’t help the laugh that escaped her lips as she looked back up at Kara, who looked very confused. At the sight of her confused friend, she began to laugh even harder. She laughed until she was bright red in the cheeks and her eyes were filled to the brim with tears. 

“What’s so funny?” Kara asked. Lena’s laughter was like a stab in the chest. So what if she didn’t like her back, was it really necessary to laugh at her like this?

Lena shook her head and wiped her eyes as she tried to recompose herself. “I’m sorry-- I just-- you could have anyone, and you want me,” she said, almost phrasing it as a question. 

Kara nodded as if it were obvious. “Of course,” she said softly. She wanted to place a reassuring hand on Lena’s knee, but she wasn’t sure if that would be overstepping. So she refrained from touching Lena, even though all she wanted to do was pull her into a hug. Or kiss her again. Or both. 

“I’m sorry… I guess I don’t really get why,” Lena admitted. “I mean you’re smart and beautiful and just--” she sighed as she searched for the right word. Eventually, she gave up and offered a smile instead. “I just don’t get what you see in me.” 

Kara inched closer to Lena and took Lena’s hand in her own. Before she could begin her rant on how incredible Lena was, Lena cut Kara off. 

“And don’t get me wrong-- I’m not rejecting you because I’ve liked you for weeks out,” she blurted out. “I just-- I don’t get it.” 

Kara sighed and smiled softly. The way Lena rambled nervously reminded her of herself. But for once, she was the calm and collected one, even if that was normally Lena’s role.

“What’s not to like?” 

Lena blushed and ducked her head. Kara was just trying to make her feel better. She couldn’t let herself fall any further. 

“Seriously, you’re awesome Lena,” Kara said and playfully swatted her arm. 

Lena looked up at Kara and gave a warm smile. 

_ So much for not falling anymore. _

“I don’t know what I did to deserve you,” Lena said with a light laugh, though she meant every word. 

Kara beamed as she draped her arm over Lena’s shoulder. When Lena didn’t flinch or lean away, Kara gently pulled her closer until they were practically on top of each other. Lena rested her head on Kara’s shoulder and released a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding in. She allowed herself to curl up against Kara as she did the best to ignore the voices in her head that taunted her and told her Kara was lying. The rational part of her knew they were wrong. Kara was too good and too kind to lie about something like that. Lena just needed to start trusting the part of herself that knew this, and maybe everything would be okay. 

Kara leaned forward and mindlessly pressed a gentle kiss to the top of Lena’s head before letting herself rest her head atop Lena’s. 

“So… what happens to us now?” Lena asked. She reached for Kara’s free hand as her head screamed with a mixture of nerves and excitement. She began to draw circles on the palm of Kara’s hand with her fingers, her heart beating so quickly against her chest it was almost painful. 

She wanted this. She wanted to be with Kara. She just couldn’t shake the remaining anxiety away no matter how badly she wanted to. 

“I mean… can I take you on a date and woo you away?” Lena asked playfully (even though she was going to need a serious answer to her question or she would spend the next few weeks in a very deep state of confusion). 

“I’d love that,” Kara said with a grin. 

Lena smiled as a wave of relief flooded over her. 

“You know your sister is going to have a field day with this,” Lena added and laughed. 

Kara let out a mock exasperated sigh and shook her head with a chuckle. “Oh God, don’t remind me. She’s been teasing me enough already.” 

“It’s alright, Lori’s been teasing me too,” Lena admitted. 

“Lori?” 

Lena nodded and let out a light laugh. “Yeah, she won’t stop talking about how we’re in love,” she said and rolled her eyes. But her cheeks turned bright red and the smile that spread across her lips showed she really wasn’t opposed to the idea of being in love. 

“She’s a smart kid,” Kara responded. 

“And way too observant,” Lena added. “She told me I take on average ten minutes and thirty-seven seconds longer to get ready if I know I’m going to be seeing you.” 

“Awe, you make yourself extra pretty for me?” 

Lena’s cheeks turned even redder which she could only hope Kara wouldn’t notice. “That’s not the point,” she mumbled, which made Kara laugh. 

“Then what is the point?” Kara teased. “Lori thinking you’re in love with me?” She asked and wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. 

Lena shook her head. “You’re so full of yourself.” 

“Well, is it true?” 

Lena’s breath caught in her throat. Simply put, yes. She was in love with Kara. She’d known for a while now. She just wasn’t sure what to say. But Kara was waiting for an answer, and she was going to have to make up her mind on an answer soon. 

Kara, just like Lena, felt her heart stop. All she could do was hope and pray Lena said yes. Then she would know her feelings really were being returned, and Lena didn’t just have a crush on her. She had to know it was love, which was so much stronger. 

“Yes,” Lena breathed. Surprisingly, it felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders at the confession. She’d admitted her feelings, which was what she’d feared happening for weeks on end. But now she was here, and it wasn’t terrible or scary at all. (Well, maybe a little bit.)

“Good, because I love you too.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and feedback is greatly appreciated :)


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It was an impulse decision to post this disaster of a chapter. I'm not sure if I'll keep it up, I might delete it and re-write it because it's such a mess. But for now, here's chapter 24.

It didn’t take long after Lena and Kara had confessed their feelings for Lena to completely spiral. As soon as Kara left, she started thinking about what would happen if they did end up in a relationship and Kara inevitably ended up hating her because of how damaged she was. And once she let herself fall prisoner to those thoughts, it became harder and harder to break free of them with every step she took further into the dark crevices of her mind. 

At one point, she imagined all the different ways Kara could break up with her. The worst was when Kara actually seemed saddened by the position she'd been put in, like Lena had broken her down completely. She would look her right in the eye as she told Lena that maybe she'd loved her once, but she just wasn't worth the effort. That the baggage she carried had been weighing Kara down, making their relationship an undesirable and painful burden. She would tell her she was sorry because she did want to love her, but Lena was just completely unlovable. 

Lena replayed the scene in her head over and over again, imagining the pained look on Kara's face as she walked away from her without any regrets.

The rational side of her had completely shut down and Lena was convinced she would drive Kara to the point of loathing her. After all, she drove everyone else away. Why would it be different with Kara?

Just because Kara was kind and supportive didn't mean she had no limits. Everyone had their breaking point, and Lena knew all too well from experience that it was only a matter of time before she unwillingly pushed Kara to hers. 

It was hours before she eventually she came to her senses. But even then, things were still foggy and stiff.

She was able to remember Kara wasn’t like that. She wouldn’t break up with her over text or get mad at her for being too emotional like her past boyfriend had. However, just because Kara wouldn't be crass about it, didn't mean it wouldn't happen. The outcome would still be the same. Kara would just be nice about it, she would tell Lena they could still be friends and isolate herself so slowly and gradually that Lena wouldn't even notice she'd left until she was completely gone.

Either way, the outcome was the same and Lena would be back where she started. Completely alone.

Maybe it was for the best, though. Lena wasn't destined for some great love like the kind shown in movies, she knew this. 

Even if the whole dating thing did work out, she would have to tell Lori. That in itself would be a struggle. Not because Lori wouldn’t be accepting, but because Lena couldn’t be sure how to break the news. It wasn’t like she could say _hey, I’m dating your old teacher, but how do you like your new school?_

The whole thing was just stupid and irresponsible. Lori deserved better than that, she shouldn't have to face the humiliation that came with knowing her mom was in love with her former teacher. Lena had to put an end to it before it could really startup. It was the best thing she could do, for everyone's sake. For once, she would do the right thing and be the mom Lori needed. 

And before she knew it, Lena was wrapped in memories of Lillian and the way she’d treated her when she was growing up. Even Lillian Luthor never hooked up with one of her teachers, even she had boundaries. Sure, she'd tried to rip Lori away from her and was once again trying to destroy Lena's sense of family but at least Lena never had to worry about her parent's marital issues.  

Though she couldn’t remember doing it, at some point in the midst of her spiral, Lena ended up scheduling an appointment with Dr. Jones for the next morning in hopes it would help somewhat calm herself down. Even though she hated therapy more often than she liked it, Lena knew she needed it. It was also the only way she was ever going to figure out a solution to the mess she'd gotten herself into since she obviously couldn't talk to Kara about it.

She ended up staying up all night counting down the hours till morning, planning the day out in her head.

_Make Lori breakfast. Drive Lori to Sam’s. See Dr. Jones. Pick up Lori. Go home. Stop panicking._

When she arrived at Dr. Jones’ the next morning, he didn’t even have to ask her what was going on for her to completely break down. Entirely unprompted, she rambled on and on about everything and everyone, from the kiss with Kara to Lillian’s arrest to how she burnt Lori's french toast this morning and she was going to end up completely ruining her childhood. It just never seemed to end.

“And how do you feel about the arrest?” Dr. Jones asked once Lena had paused long enough for him to get a word in. She kept circling back to it no matter what she was talking about even though she hadn’t realized it herself.

Lena shrugged with a sigh. “I don’t know… I guess I just feel guilty.”

Dr. Jones furrowed his brow and folded one leg over the other. “Why do you think that might be?”

Lena shrugged.

_Maybe because anytime anything went wrong I was blamed growing up. Or because no matter what the problem is, it always seems to lead back to me. Or because she’s my mother, and as terrible as she is, she did raise me and I owe her. Maybe I should’ve helped instead of letting them arrest her._

But she couldn’t say any of that, so she lied. “I don’t know.”

“What would you do if it were Lori?”

“What?”

“You and Lori both grew up in abusive households,” Dr. Jones stated the obvious. “It’s unfortunate but it’s true. And it doesn’t take a psychiatrist to see you both consistently blame yourselves for the actions of others. So if it were her blaming herself for her mother's arrest, what would you tell her?”

“That’s not the same,” Lena tried to make her voice sharp and intimidating, but she ended up sounding weaker than before. She just couldn’t bear Lori being used as the example here. Lori’s trauma wasn’t some therapy exercise for her to trivialize. So what if Dr. Jones had a point to make? She wouldn’t let him do it at the expense of her daughter.

“Just tell me what you would say,” Dr. Jones said with an exhale. He was clearly tired of Lena’s defiance. For as much as she’d opened up today, she rejected almost all of the coping mechanisms he offered to her and ignored him when he asked her questions.

However, this time she seemed to listen, even if she did hate the concept.

Lena looked down at her lap as she imagined Lori standing in front of her, telling her everything that had happened was all her fault. Sadly, it didn’t take much effort to muster up the image. Recently Lori had admitted she had been the one to call 911 after being hit so hard she was scared she’d broken her nose. When the police arrived, they’d launched an investigation with Child Protective Services, and Lori had been taken from her mother almost immediately.

When she’d confessed this to Lena, she seemed completely convinced it was her fault her mom was in jail. Lena had tried to explain to her that if nothing was wrong, they would’ve never done an investigation and she would still be with her mother. She repeatedly told her it wasn’t her fault, and that she’d done the right thing by getting help, but it worked to no avail. Lori was sure she was the problem, and it didn’t seem like she would be changing her mind any time soon.

It broke Lena’s heart hearing Lori degrade herself and insist she was to blame. She was so young and so innocent, she couldn’t have possibly done anything wrong. She just wished Lori would believe that.

She closed her eyes and held her breath as she replayed the scene in her head over and over again. Each time was more painful than the last, but she just had to get through it one more time and she would be done.

“I would tell her she hasn’t done anything wrong,” she began. Her voice was soft and tender as if she really were speaking to a child. “I would tell her I know how scary it is to have a parent treat you that way, and I know what’s like being too scared to speak up. I’d say it’s okay to protect herself, especially from the people hurting her. Then I’d tell her she didn’t do anything wrong again because even though I said it once, it probably went right over her head the first time,” she said with a sad chuckle.

Dr. Jones nodded slowly. “Now I want you to say the same thing, but apply it to yourself.”

Lena sighed and shook her head. “But it’s not the same,” she argued. “Lori was in danger-- she needed to protect herself. Someone was hurting her-- her _mother_ was hurting her.”

“Lena it--”

“No!” Lena exclaimed, and her voice broke. “It’s not the same. Lori had a terrible mother who caused her unimaginable pain-- she-- she hurt tha-- that poor child-- it’s not the same because Lori was just-- she’s a little girl and she-- she didn’t deserve it!”

By the time she’d finished, she was openly crying, not even bothering to hide or suppress her feelings like she normally would. Not about this. What had happened to her and Lori was not the same by any means. Lori was a defenseless child, she was powerless in the face of her abuser. She had done nothing to deserve any of the pain she had endured, she was just a little girl. A little girl with nobody to look out for her or protect her.

“She was so little,” Lena breathed. “There was nothing she could’ve done to stop it.”

Dr. Jones nodded sadly. “Just like you were,” he said softly so he wouldn’t startle her.

“No… it’s not the same.”

Before Dr. Jones could contradict her, Lena had stood up. She folded her arms over her chest protectively and tried to get her bottom lip to stop quivering. She did her best to model her signature CEO stance, but the fresh tears that ran down her cheeks ruined any chance she had at looking even mildly intimidating.

She just wanted to stop thinking about this. She didn’t want to contemplate her past or ponder the thought of Lillian rotting away in prison. She didn’t want to smile at the thought of her finally paying for everything she’d done, only to become overwhelmed with a wave of guilt when she realized the awful things she was thinking about the woman who had raised her.

“I’m not doing this," she said sharply.

Dr. Jones stood up with the intention of retaliation. He just needed to help her calm down. Help her start breathing properly again so she could admit to herself why she was really so upset about making the comparison. But before he could say anything, she had left his office and was headed towards the elevator.

Lena ignored his attempts to rationalize with her and went to pick Lori up early. She needed to clear her head, and that wasn't going to happen in his office lobby. So she huffed as she wiped her eyes and all but ran to her car before slamming the door shut and driving away without looking back. 

* * *

 

The ride home with Lori was completely silent. Every so often, Lori would glance over at Lena, knowing something must've been wrong, but she didn't say a word. 

Once they were back at the penthouse, Lori didn’t have to be told to give Lena some alone time. She took her math books off the dining room table and ran to her room before Lena could say anything to her.

And as soon as she was gone, Lena collapsed onto her bed and began to go over today's events. It didn’t take her long to realize how badly she’d messed up, and that her appointment had been nothing if not counter counterproductive. She didn’t even care that she would have to apologize to Dr. Jones for her behavior, or that she’d wasted a good chunk of his morning. All she could think about was how she was supposed to be making progress, for her sake and for Lori’s. But it felt like she was taking a million steps backward for every half step forward.

She didn’t even try to stop herself from instinctually dialing Kara’s number. She was weak, she'd proved that today multiple times. So why not indulge herself, just a little bit?

Kara picked up after half a ring, her cheery voice giving Lena the ability to somewhat smile.

“Hey, what’s up?” Kara greeted happily.

Lena stayed silent, unable to form the words that sat on the tip of her tongue.

“Lena, are you okay?”

Silence.

“Lena?”

“Uh… yeah… I’m fine,” Lena breathed. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

“Did something happen?” Kara asked, her voice filled with concern.

“Kind of.”

“Do you want me to come over?”

Lena bit her lip. She couldn’t keep relying on Kara to come over every time something went wrong. She couldn’t allow herself to become dependant on her.

“Lena?”

But just this once couldn’t be too bad, right?

“If you can, that would be great,” she said quietly.

“It’s no problem,” Kara responded, the smile clear in her voice.

It felt like hours before Kara arrived at Lena’s penthouse even though it had only taken her around thirty minutes to arrive. When she did show up, Lena had to refrain from throwing herself into Kara’s loving arms so she could ease the pain away. But she held back and gave her a stiff, awkward hug.

Kara guided her to her bedroom and they sat down on Lena’s bed side by side. For a while, they sat in silence. Kara held Lena, who stared straight ahead of her and rested her head against Kara’s chest. She worked on evening out her breathing as Kara drew patterns on the back of Lena’s hand with her thumb. Eventually, Kara worked up the courage to ask what was going on.

“Lena, are you okay?” She asked. Lena nodded against her.

“Yeah, I think so.”

“What happened?”

Lena bit down on the inside of her mouth. It would be a terrible thing to tell Kara that the whole spiral had begun because she’d been thinking about Kara abandoning her. So she skipped straight ahead to the Lillian part.

“I don’t know… I started thinking about some stuff, and I ended up thinking about my mom getting arrested,” she admitted.

“Oh,” Kara said softly, unsure of how to react.

“Yeah… I wanted to actually-- I don’t know-- deal with it for once I guess, so I tried to go to therapy today,” Lena continued.

“Lena, that’s really good,” Kara said with a smile.

Lena sighed and shook her head. “No… I kind of freaked out and left early. I was a real bitch,” she said and chuckled humorlessly.

“At least you recognize that though,” Kara countered.

Leave it to Kara to find the bright side in even the dullest situation possible.

It was kind of nice though. It offered a foreign sense of reassurance that Lena wouldn't mind getting used to.

“Yeah, I guess,” Lena said and chewed her lip. “He just-- he compared what I went through to Lori’s situation and I-- I don’t know… I just got really upset.”

Kara nodded slowly. She’d never heard Lena talk about her childhood, but she could assume from the way Lillian had attempted to steal Lori, Lena didn’t have many positive memories to reflect on.

“I think he wanted me to realize the stuff that’s happened isn’t my fault or whatever,” Lena explained and scoffed.

“But it isn’t your fault,” Kara pointed out.

Lena opened her mouth to try and argue, but Kara stopped her before she could get a word in.

"Every kid deserves to be loved unconditionally by their parents. And if you didn't have that growing up it's not because you did something wrong-- you were a child," she said. "You were small and helpless and someone took advantage of that, which they had no right to do. And you have every right to be angry and upset by what happened because you didn't deserve it, _nobody_ deserves to be mistreated by their family."

Kara had no idea what she was referring to, but she believed in what she said. She may not have known the extent to which Lena was abused, but she did know that nobody should have to experience the pain she had endured. Especially someone with such a good heart like Lena's. 

Lena chewed on the inside of her cheek and looked up at Kara. She didn’t even bother to argue. It didn’t seem worth it. After all, it would feel a lot better to just let Kara be right. It would make her feel like maybe she was worthy of whatever was happening between the two of them.

“Thank you,” she said softly and offered a small smile.

“Don’t thank me, it’s the truth.”

Lena sighed and nodded. _Just listen to her and don’t argue. Just listen and let her be right_.

“I’m not really sure what happened with you and your mom, but seeing the pain you're in now, you don't have anything to feel guilty about. Her being in jail now is what she deserves,” Kara continued, and Lena could feel herself beginning to believe her. 

“You’re perfect, Lena. And if she couldn’t see that, then that’s her loss,” Kara said firmly yet lovingly. "None of it-- and I mean  _none of it_ was your fault."

Lena smiled softly. “Thank you. You're the best.”

Kara shook her head and smiled warmly as she happily placed a kiss on Lena’s forehead.

She still was baffled as to what she did to get to be with someone as amazing as Kara. It was something about her that made Lena believe the things Dr. Jones had been telling her all along. It wasn’t her fault, and things would get better.

But now, she would have someone to get better with. Someone, she could be a little more than just friends with. And this made it all the more worthwhile.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oof that was a mess. I'm not sure if I'm going to revise this, completely delete it and start over, or just leave it because I'm lazy. But I'm posting it now because if I don't do it now I'll second guess it even more and never let it see the light of day. But it's almost 2 am so I'm not thinking properly so this impulse decision doesn't really matter right not. But yeah, I'm really sorry about this chapter.


	25. Chapter 25

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara, Lena, and Lori have ice cream sundaes and talk about Lori going to a new school. Lots of fluff.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, I'm so sorry I haven't posted in over a week! I've been so busy lately, but I'm going to try and start updating more once I have the time. So for now, I hope you guys like chapter 25!

 

Lena woke up to the sound of a quiet hum, a familiar sound but one with a tune she couldn’t quite place. She stirred just slightly and felt a fluffy blanket shift on top of her. She couldn’t quite remember falling asleep with a blanket, or even falling asleep for that matter but she couldn’t complain. She was comfortable and safe. It was the best she’d felt in a long time. 

Lena slowly opened her eyes and saw she was curled up against Kara, who had one arm wrapped around her and was using her free hand to hold the book she was reading. She hummed a soft tune with no particular melody as she mindlessly flipped through the pages. Lena smiled and took a minute to silently take the moment in. She never thought she would’ve seen the day where she woke up safe in Kara’s strong, loving arms, and yet here she was. That was until Lara felt Lena shift against her. She put her book down beside her and smiled. 

“Hey,” she said softly. 

Lena silently smiled back. She didn’t want to say anything and ruin the moment. 

“You must be really tired, you fell asleep after our talk,” Kara pointed out, her voice laced with concern. 

Lena murmured something incohesive before sitting up but angling herself so she was still leaning against Kara. 

“Yeah… it’s been a day,” Lena breathed. 

“I’m sorry I fell asleep on top of you,” she said and looked down bashfully as a flash of heat rushed to her face. 

Kara shook her head. “It’s okay, it was kind of cute,” she admitted, which made Lena blush even redder. “But, is there anything you’d want to do to help you feel better?” 

Lena shrugged. “I don’t know.” She sighed and rested her head against Kara’s shoulder. “I was gonna take Lori to get ice cream today but I… I don’t know… I’m so tired.” 

“It’s okay, a lot’s happened today.” Kara gave Lena a squeeze and pulled her closer so they were pressed up against each other once more. 

Lena smiled and released a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding in. The exhaustion from letting all of her emotions out earlier had finally hit her like a truck. It was like a weight had finally been lifted from her shoulders, but the effort and heartache from having to carry it in the first place were finally starting to sink in. Now Lena couldn’t imagine having to leave her apartment and socialize with others while taking Lori out, or even getting off of her couch for that matter. Now she just wanted to sit here with Kara and never move again. 

“Do you have ice cream here?” Kara asked. 

Lena nodded. “Yeah, why?” 

Kara stood up and Lena groaned at the wave of cold air that hit her at the removal of Kara’s presence. Kara laughed at Lena’s pout before making her way into the kitchen. Lena reluctantly got up and followed her. She sat down at the island and folded one leg over the other, her eyes not leaving Kara for a second. 

“Come on, what are you doing?” She asked with a chuckle. 

“ _ We _ ,” Kara gestured to the two of them, “are making ice cream sundaes.” 

“What?” 

“We’re gonna make sundaes,” Kara repeated with a grin that took up half her face. 

Lena chuckled and shook her head in disbelief. She wasn’t sure how she’d gotten so lucky as to have Kara in her life, but she was so incredibly grateful that she’d found her. She wasn’t sure what she’d do without the nerd who was currently not-so-subtly dancing around in her kitchen as she looked for ice cream in the freezer. 

“Do you want to get Lori?” Kara asked as she placed a container of cookies and cream and chocolate ice cream on the island. 

“Lori, come here,” Lena called out, too tired (and lazy) to walk to her room. 

“What?” Lori shouted back. 

“I  _ said _ come here.” 

It took a second, but Lori eventually emerged from her room, her hair in two messy french braids that she’d attempted to do herself. 

“Why is Miss. Danvers here?” She asked when she saw Kara standing in front of her setting out bowls and spoons. 

Lena’s breath caught in her throat. She hadn’t even thought about having to come up with an explanation as to why Kara was here. Luckily, Lori was okay with the idea of Lena and Kara dating, so when the time did to tell her, the conversation, as awkward as it would be, wouldn’t be terrible. However, it wasn’t time for that talk, so she would have to come up with an excuse soon and before Lori could start coming up with her theories. 

It was a good thing Kara was able to jump in and keep Lena from making up something wild and unbelievable, as she really was a terrible liar.  

“Your mom and I were just hanging out,” she explained. 

“Grown-ups do that?” Lori asked and made a face. 

Kara nodded with a chuckle. “Yes, Lori, grown-ups hang out with their friends too.” 

“Why do you need me then?” 

“We’re having ice cream, do you want some?” Lena asked, and Lori nodded excitedly. 

She ran over to Kara who handed her a bowl and filled it with both flavors. She then helped her add whipped cream, chocolate syrup, and sprinkles. Lena just watched silently as Kara sprayed whipped cream in Lori’s mouth. The two of them giggled as Kara bent down so Lori could do the same for her. 

Lena couldn’t help the smile that spread across her lips. Kara was so good with Lori, she would make such a great mom to Lori. At the thought, Lena felt her chest tighten. She couldn’t let herself think like this. Who knew how long she would have Kara in her life. She wanted it to be a very long time, but nobody could know for sure. She couldn’t let herself indulge in silly fantasies where her Lori and Kara were a little family. Sure it was a dream she would love to have come true, but for now, that’s all it was. A dream. 

But even though Lena knew it was wrong to be thinking this way, she couldn’t stop. Correction-- she didn’t want to stop.

She couldn’t think of anything better than the three of them becoming a little family. It was a perfect little fantasy. All she could do was hope one day it would be a reality. 

Lori sat down on her left side and Kara sat to her right. She smiled lovingly as she handed Lena a bowl of ice cream and pressed a quick kiss to her cheek once Lori was distracted enough that she wouldn’t notice. Lena blushed bright red and tried to suppress her comically wide smile. 

“Not now,” she whispered, even though she did want to kiss Kara now. She  _ really  _ wanted to. “Later though.”  

Kara nodded and gave an apologetic smile. 

“Miss. Danvers,” Lori said suddenly. 

“Yeah, Lori?” 

Lena gave Kara a questioning glance as if to ask if she knew what was going on, but Kara just shrugged and looked over at Lori. 

“I’m gonna miss you when I go to my new school,” Lori admitted. “Because I’m gonna have a new teacher and I don’t know if she’ll be nice like you are and let me sit in her room during lunch.” 

“I’m gonna miss you too,” Kara said softly. And she really did mean it. It had been so special getting to work with a child so smart. But even more so, she’d never seen someone so fascinated by learning as Lori was. It made her day at work ten times more enjoyable. 

“But I don’t think you need to worry about your new teacher. I’m sure she’ll be very nice,” Kara said with a smile. “And at your new school, you’re gonna be surrounded by kids just like you. I’m sure you’ll  _ want _ to be sitting in the cafeteria and going to recess this time.” 

Lori bit her lip and stirred her ice cream slowly. “I’m not sure…” 

“Why not?” Lena interjected. 

Lori shrugged with a sigh. “What if they’re mean and don’t like me?” 

“They’d be crazy not to like you,” Lena said reassuringly. “And you don’t need to worry, everyone there is gonna be super smart just like you are, so they’ll have no reason to think you’re weird. 

“And if they do think you’re weird, it’s their loss, because being weird is awesome,” Kara added. 

Lori bit her lip and thought it through. “I mean… I guess,” she said quietly. 

Lena nodded with a smile. “Being weird is the best,” she agreed. “Everyone thought I was crazy for loving science and math when I was little, but now I run one of the largest science companies in the world and I have an  _ amazing _ daughter. None of that would have happened if I wasn’t a little strange growing up.”

“Yeah, your mom is super cool,” Kara agreed with a grin. “And I was a weirdo growing up too.” 

“You were?” Lori asked. 

Kara nodded. “I was loud and awkward and I rambled all the time and I was a  _ huge _ nerd just like you guys. But when I got older I realized it didn’t matter, because I just had to find people I could be weird with.” 

Lori grinned and looked from Kara to Lena. She wanted to make a comment about how they were in love and could be weird together, but she knew Lena wouldn’t approve so she refrained. 

“You just gotta find some people you can be weird with, whether it be a big group or just one special friend,” Kara advised. 

“Yeah,” Lena agreed. “And if you can’t find anyone you can always be weird with Kara and me, because we’re pretty awesome too.” 

Once they finished their ice cream, Lena ordered Chinese takeout (with extra potstickers for Kara) and they sat around the table and ate together. Both Kara and Lena would’ve been lying if they said they weren’t thinking about what it would be like to have family dinners like this more often, though they both never would’ve admitted it. 

As dinner progressed, Lena began to fade out of the conversation more and more often, until it was just Lori and Kara talking. This went unnoticed by the two of them though, as they were too busy discussing what Lori was going to wear to her first day at her new school. 

Lena bounced her leg up and down as she watched their conversation silently, feeling more like she was looking in on the scene from afar rather than actually being there herself. She could feel herself slowly drifting away from reality, and even though she tried to pull herself back, it worked to no avail. 

Soon enough, Kara decided she probably should be getting home as it was starting to get late. Lori and Lena were both clearly exhausted, and she didn’t want to intrude any longer. 

“Do you mind if I quickly tuck her in before you go?” Lena asked, and Kara nodded with a smile. 

While Lena put Lori to bed, Kara cleaned up the mess they made earlier, which Lena was very grateful for. 

Once she was done, Lena made her way back into the living room, not quite ready to say goodbye to Kara. She just felt so off, for lack of a better word, and she wished she wouldn’t have to be alone with this feeling. It was like she was watching everything unfold in front of her, and she wasn’t actually taking part in any of it. 

The weight pressed down on her chest, making it hard for her to breathe and even harder for her to shake the stress. She wasn’t sure why she was feeling this way, she just wanted it to go away. Sure, she was used to it, but that didn’t make it any less bad each time it happened. And this time, she just wanted to reach out, because maybe it would all be okay if she had someone to go through it with. 

So instead of saying goodbye to Kara as she should’ve, she swallowed her pride and asked the question that had been eating away at her for the past hour. 

“Kara, can-- if you don’t mind… can you stay tonight?” Lena asked hopefully. Her voice was small and fearful and filled Kara with concern. 

“I-- I get it if you can’t o- or if you want to go home I-- I was just wondering,” she began to fidget with her fingers nervously as she awaited Kara’s response, her eyes full of a mixture of hope and fear.

“Yes, of course,” Kara responded almost immediately. “Are you okay?” 

Lena drew in a shaky breath and nodded. She forced an unconvincing smile and began to pull at her fingertips. “Yeah, I just-- I’m just anxious I think. I--  I’m sorry, I don’t really know why,” she admitted with a nervous chuckle. 

Kara nodded slowly and placed a gentle hand on Lena’s upper back. “Are you sure?” 

Lena nodded once more, but it was easy to tell she was just trying to put on a strong front. 

“Okay, let’s go sit down,” Kara said softly before guiding Lena to her bedroom and sitting down beside her on Lena’s bed. 

“I’m sorry,” Lena said quickly. “This happens a lot. It’s really nothing. If-- if you want to leave I get it.” 

Kara looked Lena over carefully. Her chest was rising and falling faster than normal, and her breathing was heavy and strained. Her cheeks were flushed pink even though the rest of her was paler than usual, which was really saying something because Lena was already very pale. 

“Lena,” Kara breathed. “This isn’t nothing.” 

Lena sighed. She knew Kara was probably right, but she was so used to feeling this way it hardly ever phased her anymore. It was just an inconvenience, like a headache or someone stepping on the back of her shoe. 

Except for those few times, like today, when the toll they took on her mind was just a little bit larger than normal. Sometimes they were just a little more emotionally painful. 

She couldn’t help it. She wanted it to stop, but she didn’t know how to make it go away. So she’d learned to do her best to ignore it. But sometimes, like now, it was impossible.  

“I’ll be okay,” she said, more so to convince herself than anyone else. “Can you just-- can you talk about something? I just don’t want to think.” 

Kara nodded. Before she could think of something meaningful to say, she began to ramble. 

“So the other day my students were working on a project for social studies, and one of them spilled blue paint all over me,” Kara began. “I was wearing a white blouse and I didn’t have a change of clothes, and this kid was walking with a cup of paint. They tripped, and it got everywhere. And I mean  _ everywhere _ .” 

Lena gave a small laugh and moved in closer to Kara. Her breathing was still much more strained than normal, and her cheeks were still bright red, but she was smiling. Even if it was small, it was still an improvement. 

“It was even in my hair,” Kara added with a chuckle. “The worst part was, I had a meeting with some of the other teachers and the principal after school, so I showed up with a big blue stain on my shirt, in my hair, and possibly on my face. It was so humiliating.” 

Lena laughed again and nodded. “I think Lori mentioned that. She said you looked like a smurf,” she said with a smile. 

Kara laughed and rolled her eyes. “I probably did.” 

“I’m sure you were adorable,” Lena said and kissed Kara on the cheek, which made Kara turn bright red. She laughed awkwardly and wrapped her arms around Lena, pulling her close. Her breathing was starting to even out, and she was beginning to look much more at ease than she had been just moments ago. 

Lena hummed happily as she rested her head against Kara’s shoulder, wrapping her arms around Kara’s waist and holding onto her tightly. 

“Thank you for being here,” Lena said softly. 

“Of course, I’ll stay as long as you want me to.” 

Lena smiled and looked up at Kara bashfully. “Have I ever told you you’re my favorite?” 

“Yes, but I love hearing you say it,” Kara said with a cheeky grin. 

“Kara Danvers,  _ you _ are my favorite.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm sorry about the bit of angst towards the end, I know you guys probably didn't want to see that. But I hope you liked the other parts.   
> Comments and feedback is greatly appreciated :)


	26. Chapter 26

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara, Lena, and Lori have a well earned lazy day together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First update in about a month, I hope you guys like it :)

****“See, this way it’ll stay in the pan,” Kara instructed with a smile.

She held onto Lori’s hand and guided her as Lori attempted to flip a pancake. This was their sixth attempt at making a pancake, and so far half had fallen onto the floor.

“It’s gonna fall,” Lori exclaimed when Kara loosened her grip on her arm. “You gotta hold on!”

“It’s okay, I got you,” Kara reassured.

Lori bit her lip in concentration and turned her focus back to the stove.

“See, you did it!” Kara enthused as Lori successfully flipped the pancake. “I told you making breakfast isn’t that hard.”

“I didn’t think it was _that_ hard,” Lori countered, and Kara shook her head with a chuckle.

“Do you think my moms gonna like it?”

Kara nodded as she placed the three successful pancakes on a plate along with eggs and toast. “I think she’s gonna love it.”

She handed Lori the plate and a glass of orange juice. “She’s gonna be very impressed with your cooking skills,” Kara added and smiled. “You’re like a little chef now.”

Lori nodded happily. “Yeah, and tomorrow we can make waffles,” she suggested.

Kara drew in a breath and gave a nervous smile. “Well, I’m not sure if I’m going to be here tomorrow,” she admitted.

“Why not?”

Kara had spent the night with Lena as she’d promised. She wasn’t sure what that meant to Lena entirely, but she did understand it meant Lena trusted her, which felt like a great honor had been bestowed upon her. Even though at first, the idea of spending the night with Lena was terrifying now that their feelings were out in the open. Kara may not have been sure what to expect, but she was still nervous nonetheless. She wanted to show Lena she cared, and she would be there for her no matter what. She wanted Lena to know she loved her.

But part of her wasn’t sure how to act now that they’d opened up to each other. Kara wasn’t sure how different things would be, or if they would change at all.

But Kara’s nerves at been set to rest very quickly. Last night had actually been one of the best she’d had in a long time. Falling asleep with Lena in her arms wasn’t something she hadn’t fantasized about many times before. Not to mention she would’ve been lying if she’d said her heart rate hadn’t sped up when the realization hit that she was really there, and Lena really did love her.

It had been nearly impossible for Kara to fall asleep, as every time her eyes closed all she could think about was how she was going to take Lena out on a date, and how they were going to wake up side by side in the morning. Kara couldn’t be sure how much sleep she’d ended up getting, because it seemed like as soon as she’d found her peace, Lori was shaking her with unnecessary urgency.

As soon as she’d explained what she wanted to do, her big eyes full of excitement, Kara instantly obliged.

That was when she’d told Kara all about how she wanted to surprise her mom with breakfast in bed. Of course, Kara had loved the idea, so much so that she’d seemed almost as excited as Lori when they got to cooking.

Now that it was time to wake Lena up and show her what they’d done, Kara’s nerves rose once more. She’d never surprised Lena with a gesture like this before, so she could only hope Lena would like that it came from her too, and not just Lori.

She let Lori walk in front of her as they entered Lena’s room. Lena was sitting in bed, scrolling through emails on her phone, completely unfazed by their presence.

“Mom, look, we made breakfast,” Lori said.

She handed the plate to Lena, who put her phone down, looking up at them for the first time. Her mouth formed an  ‘oh’ shape in surprise as she looked from Lori to Kara.

“You did this?” She asked.

Kara smiled and shook her head. “It was all Lori’s idea, but I helped.”

Lena looked over at Lori with a bright smile. “Well aren’t you quite the little chef,” she said and gestured for Lori to sit next to her. Lori climbed up onto the bed, taking her place at Lena’s left-hand side and Lena pulled her into a hug. Kara watched awkwardly and fidgeted with her fingers, unsure of what to do with herself, as Lena ruffled Lori’s hair and placed a kiss on the top of her head. Admittedly, she felt very out of place. She wanted to sit with Lena, but she wasn’t sure if Lena would be okay with that. After all, having breakfast in bed with her girlfriend and her girlfriend's daughter felt like an intimate gesture, even if it wasn’t a physical one.

As if on cue, Lena looked up at Kara and smiled brightly before patting the spot to her right. “Come sit with us,” she offered.

Kara didn’t have to be asked twice and immediately took her spot beside Lena. Part of her was shocked that Lena had invited her to sit with them, but she didn’t want to question it. Being with Lena and Lori just felt right. She didn’t want to say or do anything that would mess it up.

Lena snaked her arm around Kara’s waist discreetly enough so Lori wouldn’t notice and rested her head on Kara’s shoulder.

“You’re the best,” she mumbled.

“Mom?” Lori asked, pulling Lena out of the bubble she’d created that was just big enough for herself and Kara.

“What is it?”

“Can Miss. Danvers come with us to the park?”

“Lori, it’s like eight o’clock, we’re not gonna leave for at least three more hours.”

Lori groaned impatiently. “I _know that_ but when we do go, can she come with us?”

Lena chewed on her lip, contemplating the idea. Of course, she wanted to spend the day with Kara and Lori. They were the two most important people in her life. But it all seemed like it would be too good to be true if the three of them went together. She didn’t want to scare Kara away, especially not after they’d just gotten together.

 “Oh, she’s welcome to come, but I’m sure she already has plans,” Lena responded and shot Kara an apologetic glance as if she were sorry for Lori even bringing it up.

“I-- well I’m free today, but I wouldn’t want to intrude,” Kara said.

Lori looked over at Lena and tapped on her legs eagerly, her face full of excitement. “Please mom, _please._ ”

Lena sighed in defeat and looked over at Kara. “Do you want to come? We were going to make a picnic and feed the ducks.”

Kara smiled and nodded. “That sounds great, but are you sure I’m not butting in on anything?” She asked hesitantly.

“No, not at all,” Lori answered quickly.

“Well then I guess I have to come,” Kara said with a laugh, and Lori nodded enthusiastically.

“Yay!” Lori clapped her hands together excitedly. “It’ll be so much fun, we can go to the playground and ooh-- we should go to the zoo! Then we can see the monkeys and the red pandas and--”

Kara smiled at Lena, who blushed and bowed her head, both of them lost in their own little world while Lori continued to ramble. She slipped her hand beneath the blanket and reached for Lena’s hand, giving it a small squeeze. Today was going to be a good day, she could feel it.

* * *

 

Lori hadn’t meant to break the vase. She knew it was on the kitchen countertop, where Lena thought it had been out of her reach. She knew it had probably been very expensive, or at least it looked like it was. She knew she wasn’t supposed to touch it. It was an unspoken rule she’d grown up with, don’t touch things that don’t belong to you. But she thought maybe it wouldn’t be terrible if she broke the rule just this one time.

So she picked up the blue glass vase filled with red roses Kara had given to Lena and turned it in her hands. It was just so pretty and shiny, she couldn’t help herself. She’d made sure to hold onto it extra tightly so she wouldn’t drop it. She was extra careful.

She’d stood on her tip toes, leaning forward as she attempted to reach the spot on the counter where it once sat. But then she saw a tiny fly appear from the petals, and she jumped back in shock, the vase shattering on the ground.

And now it was broken, and she was sure to be in a world of trouble when Lena found out.

Lori hastily attempted to pick up the pieces off the floor, but her hands were shaking and every time she thought she had a good grip, the shards would fall right back down onto the ground. She began to cry when she heard footsteps steadily approaching. Lena was going to be devastated if she found out, and Kara would be so angry if she’d found out Lori had broken the vase.

“Lori, what happened?” It was Kara’s voice.

Lori looked up quickly, her eyes filled with panic and fear. This was it. The moment Kara would finally start hating her. The moment that would undo all the kind and supportive things she’d ever done for her.

“Did the vase fall?”

Lori couldn’t bring herself to respond. The words were in her mouth, sitting on the tip of her tongue. The apology was begging to escape. But her throat was dry, and no matter how hard she tried, she just couldn’t get the words. So instead, she gave a meek nod as Kara looked at her sympathetically.

“You didn’t cut yourself did you?” She asked nervously and knelt down beside Lori, who lifted her hands and examined them before shaking her head as if to say no.

“I’m sorry,” Lori managed to force out. Her voice broke and the corners of her mouth pulled down into a frown. She tried to force herself not to, but she couldn’t stop the tears that started to fall once more. She couldn’t imagine how let down Kara must’ve felt. What was even worse was knowing _she_ was the cause of immense disappointment.

“Oh, Lori, it’s okay, as long as you didn’t hurt yourself everything’s okay,” Kara said kindly, placing a gentle hand on Lori’s shoulder.

“But I broke it,” Lori cried quietly.

Why was she being so nice? It didn’t make any sense. She’d just proven that she was no better than any other clumsy, annoying, bothersome ten-year-old. Not the girl who strived to make everyone around her proud.

“It’s okay, it’s just a vase,” Kara reassured with a comforting smile. She began to carefully pick up the pieces of glass.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to break it,” Lori said softly, she stared at the ground, too ashamed to look Kara in the eye.

“It’s okay sweetie, I’m not mad,” Kara consoled her. “It was an accident.”

Lori swallowed a sob and nodded sadly. It was an accident, but it was a stupid one. A childish mistake she shouldn’t have made. She should’ve listened to Lena, who’d always been so good and kind to her. Lena who had done so much for her, things she still didn’t feel like she deserved most of the time.

“Hey, what happened here?”

Lori snapped her head upwards at the sound of Lena’s voice. Her chest tightened. Maybe Kara wasn't mad, but Lena would be. This wasn’t the first time she’d broken something that didn’t belong to her, and sure Lena hadn’t been angry before, but now that she’d done it _again_ Lena was sure to be upset.

Kara glanced over at Lori, who was too frightened to say anything. Her heart was pounding against her chest so fiercely she was afraid it might burst.

“I accidentally knocked over your vase,” Kara responded with a nervous chuckle. “I’m really sorry,  I can buy you another one if you’d like.”

Lena paused. She looked from Kara to Lori as if to put the pieces together. It wouldn’t take a genius to figure out that Kara was lying for Lori, and not just because Kara was a terrible liar. Lori was shaking like a leaf, her eyes were wide and full of fear. Lena couldn’t bring herself to do anything but follow in Kara’s lead. So she looked down at Lori, who was still sitting on her knees and smiled warmly as if to tell her it was okay and she wasn’t mad.

“It’s alright, I didn’t care for that vase anyway,” she said and shrugged it off.

She held out her hand and helped Lori up off the floor.

“Are you sure?” Kara asked.

Lena nodded. “Yeah, it’s just a vase,” she said as if it were nothing.

“Are you guys ready to go to the park?” She asked, and both Lori and Kara nodded as relief washed over them. Lori could finally breathe again. She wasn’t in any trouble. All she had to do was apologize to Kara for making her take the fall, and everything would be just fine.

 

Once they were at the park, everything began to feel normal.

Lena sat by Kara on the grass as Lori ran by the lake and threw bread in the water for the ducks. She leaned against Kara, who mindlessly ran her fingers through her hair. She thought about what it would be like to do this every weekend. To do things together, just the three of them. Then when it got later, do other things with just Kara. Imagining it felt like some sort of fantasy. A fantasy Lena couldn’t believe was coming true.

Kara pressed a kiss to Lena’s cheek, and Lena smiled brightly. She couldn’t think of any other way she’d rather be spending her day. Even if they weren’t talking. It wasn’t because they didn’t want to. They sat in comfortable silence, neither of them felt the need to speak. Other than Kara occasionally mumbling sweet little nothings and Lena humming in agreement, they were completely quiet. They could just be, and that was good enough.

“I like this,” Kara randomly thought out loud, a lazy smile spread across her lips.

“Hm?”

Kara shrugged, wrapping her arm around Lena’s waist and pulling her even closer if possible. “This,” she said, gesturing to the two of them, then to Lori who was on her knees and playing with a dog that had escaped from its owner.

“Being here with you and Lori. It kind of feels like-- I don’t know,” she cut herself off and chuckled nervously.

“Like what?”

Kara bit her lip, hesitant to say what was really on her mind for fear she’d scare Lena away. “It’s nothing, it’s silly,” she attempted to brush it off.

“Come on Kara, what is it?” Lena asked, her tone soft but encouraging. “I won’t judge.”

“Like we’re a family.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, I'm so sorry updating this took so long! I've been so busy lately, I haven't had the time to do any writing at all. I'm not sure how consistent my updates are going to be moving forward (hopefully once a week) because I think I might actually listen to my friends for once and take care of my mental health instead of pushing out chapters every day. But I hope you guys enjoyed this, and I'm gonna try to start posting more frequently, even if it isn't as often as I used to.  
> Comments and feedback is greatly appreciated :)


	27. Chapter 27

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This story has no plot, therefore this chapter has no plot either. Enjoy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At this point, I am fully writing this for myself and you guys are just reading it too.

 

“Like we’re family?”  Lena repeated.

Kara nodded with a nervous grin. “Yeah… is that okay?” She asked nervously.

“Of course it is,” Lena said and broke into the biggest smile Kara had ever seen from her. She rested her head against Kara’s shoulder and reached for Kara’s hand. She murmured something unintelligible and closed her eyes, allowing herself to take the moment in.

She had a family, her own perfect little family, everything she’d wanted since she was a girl. The most beautiful family made up of her two favorite people in the world, two people that she could call her own.

“You’re my favorite,” she murmured.

Kara chuckled softly to herself, wrapping her arms around Lena and giving her a squeeze which made Lena laugh brightly. She tucked a stray strand of Kara’s hair behind her ear and placed a kiss on her cheek. Kara blushed, she bowed her head as her face turned bright red.

“Lori’s gonna see us,” she pointed out.

But that didn’t stop her from leaning over and kissing Lena’s lips softly but passionately. Lena hummed against her, slowly pulling away, the cold air against her instead of Kara hitting her like a brick.

“You’re no fun,” she pouted and playfully flicked Kara on the arm.

Kara’s jaw dropped in mock offense as she stared at Lena in pretend disbelief.

But before she could say anything else, Lori came racing towards them. She smiled brightly as she plopped down besides Lena, clearly out of breath from running around so much.

“Mom, can we go home?” She asked.

“Already?” Lena responded, raising a skeptical eyebrow.

Lori nodded. “Yeah, I’m tired. And I wanna do some stuff from my math books,” she explained. “Please, can we go?”

Lena sighed. “Alright, but since we’re leaving we should give Kara a ride home.”

* * *

 

Once Kara had been dropped off at her apartment, Lena took Lori back to their penthouse. They sat on the ground in Lori’s room, Lena leaning against the bed and Lori sitting in her bean bag chair. Lena had just finished explaining the first few pages of her _Beginners Calculus_ textbook, and now Lori was doing her best to solve some of the easier problems. Lena sat silently, playing with a loose thread on her jeans as Lori did her work. She was lost in contemplation. So much so, that she couldn’t even hear Lori’s voice over the sound of her own thoughts.

“Mom, can you check this?” Lori asked.

Lena didn’t look up.

“Mom?”

Still no response.

Lori got up and waved her hand in front of Lena’s face, laughing when she looked up and swatted away Lori’s hand.

“Hey, what’s that for?” She groaned and took the book from Lori, though she appeared to be confused as to why Lori was holding it in front of her. “Do you want me to check these?”

Lori nodded as if it were obvious. She sat back down on her bean bag and watched intently as Lena read through her work.

“You’re weird today,” she pointed out.

“What?”

“You’re weird today,” Lori repeated.

“What do you mean?” Lena asked.

Lori shrugged. “I don’t know, you were normal this morning and when we went to the park, but now you’re being weird,” she said. She paused to think, scrunching up her brow the same way Lena did. “Is it because Miss. Danvers isn’t here?”

“Wh-- Lori-- what? Miss. Danvers has nothing to do with this,” Lena responded a little too defensively. She couldn’t let Lori know the reason she was so out of it was because of Kara. Sometimes Lori’s perceptiveness along with Lena’s inability to hide anything from her became a huge inconvenience. Especially in moments like these.

“Are you sad that she left?” Lori asked, not wanting to give up just yet.

Lena shook her head. “No, that’s not it,” she said softly. She smiled to herself at how empathetic Lori was. Sometimes it felt like Lori was the one taking care of her instead of the other way around.

“Then what happened?”

Lena sighed. It was the perfect opportunity to say it. Lori was in a good mood, she clearly knew something was up. She knew she wouldn’t be mad. All she had to do was say it.

“It’s not important,” Lena brushed it off.

As easy as it would’ve been to just say it, it would’ve changed everything. Coming forward about the whole thing would mean Lena was no longer the only adult figure in Lori’s life. It would mean it wasn’t just the two of them. And though Lena loved Kara, and she was sure she loved her, she loved being Lori’s mom more than anything. Of course, Lena knew being with Kara didn’t take away from that. But it was still a change. And saying it out loud made it so real and so scary.

“Okay… if it’s not important why won’t you tell me?” Lori pushed.

“You really wanna know?” Lena asked and Lori nodded eagerly.

Lena took a deep breath and ran her hands through her hair. This was it.

“So, you remember when we went to game night with Kara and we met her sister Alex and Alex’s girlfriend Maggie?”

Lori nodded and smiled. “Are we going to another game night?” She asked excitedly. “Can I bring Ruby? Then we could play on a team!”

Lena laughed lightly at Lori’s enthusiasm. “No… that’s not it, but I can ask Kara if we can come again. What I meant to say was, you remember after when we had that talk about Alex and Maggie?” She asked.

Lori nodded. “You said they’re dating because two girls can love each other just like a boy and a girl can love each other.”

Lena smiled and clasped her hands together. “Yeah, that’s right,” she said. She bit her lip and mentally prepared herself for what she was about to say.

“Why are we talking about this?”

“Because that was the first time we talked about me dating again,” Lena explained. Her voice was soft and full of obvious nerves. She closed the calculus book and set it on the ground as she braced herself for her daughter's reaction.

But Lori didn’t react. She simply drew in a breath and looked down at her lap. “Are you dating again?” She asked quietly.

“What would you say if I was?”

Lori bit her lip and contemplated the notion. It wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world, or at least it wouldn’t be terrible. It was scary to think about though. She didn’t like the idea of sharing her mom with another woman or man. Even if deep down she knew Lena would never abandon her, the fearful thoughts and memories still lingered in the back of her mind.

“I mean… I guess I’m okay with it,” she decided on with a shrug.

“Are you sure?” Lena asked nervously.

“I guess.”

“That’s not an answer,” Lena said with an anxious chuckle.

“Is it Miss. Danvers?”

Lena nodded. “We really do a terrible job of hiding it, huh?”

Lori laughed and nodded. “I like Miss. Danvers,” she said with a smile.

“I like her too,” Lena said softly. “She’s really great.”

“But you know you can call her Kara now, right?”

Lori made a disgusted face and shook her head. “She used to be my teacher, that’s gross,” she deflected. “Maybe one day, but not now.”

She looked up at Lena, who was still smiling brightly. She looked happy, _really_ happy. Like the kind of happy she got when she skipped a day of work and pulled Lori out of school so they could see the new planetarium at the museum. It almost made Lori wish she wasn’t so apprehensive about the whole thing. It made her wish she’d never been hurt in the first place, that her birth mom had never neglected her the way she did. She wished that she hadn’t spent the first ten years of her life associating love with pain. She wished that her mother had never brought men home when she was little so that she would’ve never had to hide in her room out of fear that they would touch her. She wished she could be able to see Lena’s happiness as a good thing, especially because she knew Kara would never hurt either of them.

“But Lori, if you feel weird about this you can tell me,” Lena said, her voice turned serious when she noticed Lori’s change of expression. She placed a hand over Lori’s and gave it a squeeze.

“I know that it’s good,” Lori said quietly and averted Lena’s gaze. “It just… I don’t know… it’s kind of scary I guess.”

Lena nodded understandingly. “I know, it’s scary for me too” she admitted with a sympathetic smile. “But you know I would never do anything that you aren’t okay with, and I will never _ever_ stop caring about you just because I’m dating someone.”

Lori sighed. “I know, it’s just hard to remember that sometimes.”

“You’re my best girl,” Lena said with a reassuring grin. Lori looked up and gave a small smile. “And I love you, and I’m not going anywhere.”

Lori nodded.

“You okay?”

“I’m okay.  

* * *

 

Lena couldn’t remember a time she had been more relieved that Lori had been invited to spend the day with Ruby. She was always exhausted by Sunday’s, but today more so than normal.

She’d planned on lounging around in her apartment in her pajamas all day and picking up on some work in the evening instead of stressing all day like she normally did. However, her plans were changed when Kara called and asked if she wanted to spend the day being lazy and watching movies at her loft, which of course, Lena couldn’t say no to.

She arrived at Kara’s in an old MIT hoodie, sweatpants, a messy bun, and glasses. Kara couldn’t help but burst out in laughter at the sight.

“I’m sorry, you just look really cute,” she said as she invited Lena in.

Lena blushed and brushed a stray hair out of her face. “Well, thank you, so do you.”

“I didn’t know you wore glasses,” Kara pointed out as she and Lena walked over to the couch.

“Yeah, well I’m also a natural blonde, but we can get into that later,” she said, and Kara’s jaw dropped to the floor.

“You’re a _blonde?_ ” She exclaimed.

Lena nodded and laughed. “Yup, maybe one day I’ll show you my high school yearbook picture.”

Kara shook her head in disbelief. “There is no way you’re a blonde.”

Lena chuckled. “Trust me, I wish you were right.”

Kara paused and smiled at Lena. “I bet you looked beautiful even back in high school.”

Lena drew in a breath and shook her head playfully. “I mean, I went to an all-girls boarding school where we all wore the same ugly uniform and looked pretty stuck up and snobby, so I’m not sure if I would’ve been your type back then.”

She sat down beside Kara, who draped her arm over Lena’s shoulder and pulled her in closer. Lena instinctively wrapped her arm around Kara’s waist and rested her head against Kara’s chest.

“This is nice,” she mumbled.

Kara hummed in agreement.

They didn’t end up watching any movies. Instead, they talked about their weekends and all of the chaos that had been going on in their lives. Lena told Kara about how Lori loved her new school but missed having Kara as a teacher. Then she told her about how she’d been invited to a gala that she didn’t want to go to but couldn’t get out of in hopes Kara would pick up on her hints that she wanted her to offer to be her date. Kara, of course, didn’t get it and Lena had to very explicitly ask her to go with her.

Kara then told her about how Alex and Maggie have been teasing her relentlessly about their relationship, but can’t wait for the wedding. Lena laughed brightly at that and told her she couldn’t blame them.

Eventually, the conversation began to fade into a comfortable silence. Lena played with Kara’s hair as Kara placed a kiss on the top of her head every so often.

That was until Lena suddenly broke the silence.

“I know Lori broke the vase,” She said randomly.

She pulled away from Kara and looked up at her, waiting for a response.

“What? Why didn’t you say anything?”

Lena shrugged, unsure of how she should feel.

“Are you mad that I covered for?” Kara asked, confused as to why Lena was bringing this up now. They’d been having such a nice time, there didn’t seem to be a point in discussing it.

Lena shook her head. “I’m not mad,” she said softly. “I thought it was really sweet that you did. It’s what I would’ve done.”

Kara nodded slowly. “So… why are we talking about this now?”

“I… I wanted to thank you,” Lena said nervously. She began to play with the tips of her fingers just as she always did in tense situations. Even though this wasn’t uncomfortable, it did make her anxious. She’d never really discussed this with Kara, but if they wanted their relationship to work, she believed it was important she knew what she had to say.

“For what?” Kara asked, sensing Lena’s apprehensiveness.

“I was a very motherly thing you did,” Lena cringed at her word choice. “I mean not really-- but I-- what I mean is you-- Lori-- she-- she had a really rough time before I adopted her, with her biological mom. It’s one of the reasons she has so much trouble hanging out with other kids, she was forced to grow up really fast.”

Lena took a deep breath and looked down at her hands. She was shaking.

Kara chewed on the inside of her mouth, uncertain of how to respond. She’d never really thought about what Lori’s life must’ve been like before she’d moved in with Lena. It had never really crossed her mind. Sure there were moments it did. But she’d never contemplated it too much. She’d always tried to push those thoughts down, they were filled with questions she knew she didn’t want answers to.

Maybe it was for the exact reasons she knew Lena was getting to. She never wanted to think about such a sweet and innocent girl like Lori experiencing so much trauma that she was taken out of her home and sent to live with her aunt.

“She went through a lot and she-- she’s made a lot of progress,” Lena continued, a hint of pride in her voice. “She’s been doing really well lately but there are… there are these moments I guess. Sometimes she… she reverts back I guess you could say to having those feelings of fear and anxiety from when she first moved in. They normally happen when she thinks she’s in trouble, she’ll break something or spill her juice or drop her dinner on the ground and she… she gets scared that I’ll react the way her birth mom would’ve.”

Kara drew in a breath and held it. She thought back to the look of terror in Lori’s eyes when she’d approached her, asking if she’d broken the vase. She could hear Lori’s voice in her head, crying as she apologized. She’d been so scared. And that was when it really resonated with Kara. She’d thought Kara was going to hit her.

“This morning when it broke and she started apologizing over and over again… was she having one those moments?” She asked tentatively, her voice just above a whisper.

Lena nodded sadly. “Yeah,” she said with a sigh. “I’m sorry, I probably should’ve told you already so it wouldn’t have taken you by surprise.”

Kara shook her head, taking Lena’s hand in her own and giving it a squeeze. “You don’t have anything to apologize for,” she said with a small smile. “It-- I hate to say this but it kind of does make sense.”

Lena nodded once more. “Yeah, if you knew more of the details I think a lot of the things she does would make more sense,” she said and bit her lip. “But you handled it really well, she bounced back really quickly today. Sometimes it takes her a little while.”

“How long does it normally take?” Kara asked. But she wasn’t really sure she wanted to know the answer. Finding out about the pain Lori must’ve been in this morning was awful enough, but knowing it happened often was even worse.

Lena shrugged. “It depends on the day,” she explained. “Sometimes it’ll take about an hour, sometimes she’ll realize she’s okay but she’ll feel guilty for getting upset for a little while. Sometimes the guilt over whatever she did will last a few days, but that’s gotten to be pretty rare now.”

Kara drew in a breath as she allowed herself a minute to take it all in. She thought back to the time Lori had spilled glue on the floor when she’d had the class work on their art projects. She’d frozen up and refused to look Kara in the eye. She’d gone the rest of the day without speaking. She hated to think of what was going on in Lori’s head that day.

“I’m sorry, we were having a really nice time and I-- I shouldn’t have brought it up,” Lena said when she noticed Kara’s solemn expression.

Kara shook her head and squeezed Lena’s hand once more. “No, it’s okay,” she said softly. “I hate knowing Lori went through that kind of thing but I guess it’s better that I do, for next time I mean.”

“You’re really great with her,” Lena said with a soft smile. “And I wish it didn’t have to be the way that it is and that she-- that she never had to experience that but… she did. And all I can do for her is be the best mom I can possibly be.”

Kara smiled. “You’re an amazing mom.”

Lena blushed and looked down at her lap. “Thank you.”

She moved back so that she was closer to Kara again and leaned up against her once more. “I don’t know what I would do without you,” she mumbled. “I love you, Kara.”

“I love you too, Lena.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No, I'm never going to stop ending chapters with "I love you" even though it's very cheesy because I like it and it brings me joy.  
> And ending chapters is hard and I'm lazy.  
> Also, I've realized at some point I'm going to have to end this story so if anyone has ideas please comment or send me a message or ask on Tumblr (@GodHatesOliviaa)


	28. Chapter 28

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a short but cute, fluffy little ending.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys, it's over!! I'm done writing it!! I'm free!!

**** Lena groaned as she set threw her purse down on the coffee table. She was exhausted, to say the least.

But more than anything, she needed a drink. 

She’d spent the day in meeting after meeting, trying to talk sense into the new and completely incompetent members of the board. Lena had been on the verge of screaming at them all day. The only thing holding her back was knowing she’d surely lose her job. So she refrained and reminded herself that Kara and Lori would be waiting for her when she got home and she would be able to drink herself to sleep with Kara by her side. 

Lena flopped down on the couch, tilted her head back so she was staring up at the ceiling and sighed dramatically. There was nothing worse than the Monday after a weekend with Kara. 

Spending the weekend with Kara meant indulging in picnics and nights full of cuddling and whispering sweet little nothings to each other before they fell asleep. It was pure bliss and happiness. Being with Kara and Lori the past few days, she was surrounded by more love and warmth than she’d ever felt in her entire life.

However, things like this always came with a catch. Getting to escape with those she loved most let her forget how the real world worked. Encircling herself with so much positivity allowed her to close off the part of her that worried about spreadsheets and pencil skirts and 8 am meetings. Lena wished more than anything that morning coffee’s with Kara could’ve been her reality every day. She wished she could have breakfast in bed with her two favorite people every morning. But Monday marked the start of the new week, going back to work, chugging an unhealthy amount of coffee, and facing the real world all over again. And being reminded of just how tedious and downright awful working with a bunch of old, entitled, white men really was.

Lena ran her hands through her hair. She pulled her legs in close to her, covering herself with her blazar as if it were a blanket. The living room was far too cold. The lights were much too bright and Lena was definitely too tired to not be in bed. She let out a long, strained breath and closed her eyes, allowing her body to be taken over with exhaustion. But the moment was short lived as before she knew it, she was being jolted awake by a loud, high pitched scream. 

“Mom, Kara’s gonna get me!” Lori yelled as she ran through the living room. 

“Mhm?” Lena mumbled, wiping the tiredness from her eyes. 

“I’m coming for you, you grubby little monster,” Kara called out. She chased after Lori, both of them smiling widely with bright pink cheeks.

Lori sprinted past the couch and into the kitchen, Kara following close behind. She jumped up, pressed her hands on the island and pushed herself up onto the marble surface. She crawled to the middle so she was just out of Kara’s reach. 

“Hey, that’s not fair!” Kara exclaimed. She folded her arms over her chest and pouted at Lori in pretend offense. 

Lena slowly sat up, the day's weariness finally beginning to fade away.  

“What’s going on?” 

“Kara’s trying to  _ kill _ me,” Lori responded dramatically. She stood up on the countertop and accusingly pointed at Kara. 

Lena wanted to say something about not standing on the furniture, but she was far too worn out for that. So she let it slide just this once and hoped to whatever God was out there that Lori wouldn’t fall and crack her head open. 

Kara spun around on her heel to face Lena. She dropped her jaw so her mouth formed an  _ oh _ shape and put her hand over her heart as if she’d been stabbed in the chest. Lena couldn’t help the laugh that escaped her lips at her  _ very _ theatrical girlfriend and daughter. 

“I am not trying to kill her,” Kara corrected matter-of-factly. 

“Yes, she is!” 

“Lori stole my food,” Kara whined as if she were a child. 

Lena tried to force back her smile as she raised an eyebrow at her daughter. “You stole Kara’s food?” 

“No, I didn’t,” Lori said firmly. 

“Yes, you did!”

Lori jumped off the island and began running again before Lena could even think about telling her to be careful. As Kara chased her around the living room, she rested her head against the couch and let out a sigh. She watched as Kara finally caught Lori, picking her up and spinning her around while Lori laughed hysterically. 

“I’m sorry! I’ll never take your potstickers again!” She giggled.

Kara tickled her stomach which made Lori laugh even harder. When Kara finally put her down, Lori hugged her and apologized. 

“It’s alright little bean,” Kara said, kissing her on the top of her head. 

“Just  _ never _ take my food again,” she added jokingly. 

Lena smiled to herself, allowing herself to forget the hours before and lose herself in the sound of her joyous girlfriend and daughter laughing together. She fought to keep her eyes open so she could watch them, even though just minutes before she’d wanted more than anything to take a nap (and alcohol). Now, all she wanted was to bask in the moment. She’d spent so long with her sole focus on her career, turning L-Corp into a force for good, doing for the sake of others. She’d forgotten how to take care of herself before Kara and Lori came along. She’d had no concept of what it meant to be truly happy and comfortable. But being with them now, she wished she could stay in this moment forever. 

When Lori eventually ran off to her room, Kara took a seat besides Lena and rested her head on Lena’s shoulder. She was clearly out of breath but was trying her best to hide it. 

“You look so sad all alone,” she commented. “I thought I’d come sit with you.” 

Lena grinned dreamily as she reached for Kara’s hand and gave it a squeeze. She wrapped her arm around Kara to pull her close. 

“I’m not sad, I was just watching you guys.” 

“Oh?” Kara raised an eyebrow and placed a kiss on Lena’s forehead. 

“Yeah, you two make me so happy,” Lena said; her cheeks turning bright pink. “I just love you so much.” 

Kara beamed from ear to ear. “I love you more.” 

Lena threw her head back and let out a fake groan. “Ew, don’t let us turn into one of  _ those _ couples,” she said with a laugh. 

But deep down, the thought of being one of those cheesy and overly-romantic couples didn’t seem so bad. 

As long as she had Kara, she knew she was just fine. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you have read this story, thank you so so so much.   
> This fic literally had no plot and the fact that you guys read 28 whole chapters of it is so mind-blowing to me. So thank you all so much for sticking with me, I love you!!

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and feedback is greatly appreciated :)


End file.
